Hill losses put at Rs 150cr

TT, Calcutta, June 21: The Bengal government has estimated at Rs 150 crore the losses the hills have suffered so far because of the violence and the ongoing strike.

"The report will be submitted before Calcutta High Court.... The figure includes damage to properties - both government and private - and the losses in trade and business," said a state government official.

The assessment has been made on the basis of feedback from officials in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

Calcutta High Court has already asked the government to recover from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the strike spearhead, Rs 69 crore for a bandh in 2013.

The government has been highlighting how the hills themselves are suffering the most because of the unrest.

Today, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha asked schools in Darjeeling to make arrangements to send students home for holidays during a 12-hour window on Friday. The unrest has sparked concerns about its impact on parents and future admissions.

(Source & Courtesy :  https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170622/jsp/frontpage/story_158143.jsp)