CM MAY NAME MIRIKSUB-DIVISION... MAMATA BANERJEE TO HOLD MEETING WITH 3 DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIALS

Manas R Banerjee, SNS, Siliguri, 17 March 2017: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will attend a meeting with the administrative officials of three districts including the newly created Kalimpong at Uttarkanya, branch secretariat for North Bengal, in the last week of March.

According to a senior government official, the chief minister during her three-day trip to this region, will officially announce new sub-division named Mirik in Darjeeling district. Administrative officials have been asked to get ready to organise the programme at a suitable site in Mirik, where the chief minister will be present for ceremonial declaration of Mirik sub-division.

Mirik is under Kurseong sub-division in Darjeeling district.

Official sources said Miss Banerjee is likely to declare new Mirik sub-division on 30 March.

The chief minister would interact with administrative be officials of Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts at Uttarkanya on 28 March.

She would also meet administrative official of Jalpaiguri district at branch secretariat on 29 March.

Notably, the chief minister has declared new Kalimpong district, bifurcating Darjeeling Hills on 14 February this year.

She would convene the first administrative meeting with the officials of Kalimpong district, after its formation, to bring herself upto the development there.

Political observers said the chief minister will be able to reach out to more people in the hills, ahead of municipality elections in both Kalimpong and darjeeling districts by announcing a new Sub- division.

Notably, after formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration(GTA), chief minister has constituted 15 development boards to bring in development for various communities following people's demand from the Hills. Still some more communities have been demanding separate development board for them in the Hills.

Similarly, political parties like Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) demanded a new Kurseong district following the line of Kalimpong district.

However, apart from an apolitical organisation, both the Congress and the BJP leaders here have demanded separate Siliguri district,bifurcating Darjeeling.