CM to announce Duncans tea -garden plans

SNS, SILIGUR1, 8 DECEMBER: As Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is very likely to visit the Hills later this month to inaugurate a tourism festival, she will announce plans for closed tea plantations owned by the Duncans Group of Industries in the Dooars during her proposed tour of Darjeeling.

The chief minister is also to hand over land rights to 52 families of Kawakhali in Siliguri as the state government has decided to return the around 11 acres of land, which was acquired by the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) in 20115 during the tenure of the previous Left Front government.

SJDA chairman and Trinamul Congress MLA of Alipurcluar Sourav Chakraharty said Miss Baneriee will announce certain plans for the seven closed tea gardens of the Duncans Group of Industries.

"Despite assurances, the Centre did not implement its decision of taking over the seven Duncans gardens in the Dooars. The chief minister is concerned about the plight of the tea workers of tea plantations. I had a talk with her in Kolkata, and she will announce some plans for the welfare of those plantations during her next trip to the region,- Mr Chakrabarty said.

Political observers said BJP leaders have fanned out across the Dooars in view of the rural polls and that any such announcement by the CM may be a populist move of the state government to help Trinamul Congressto win people's hearts.

Mr Chakrabarty also said that the chief minister will hand back papers of land rights to the 52 families during her tour.

The observers also said that the visit to the Hills by the chief minister would be a message that peace has prevailed and no and normality restored after months of tension. If she goes to Darjeeling, the CM will be visiting the Hills after six months after trouble broke out in Darjeeling during her visit in the hill town on 8 June.

Administrative officials said Miss Banerjee may have consented to go to the Hills after Christmas and that she may have accepted the invitation of the chairman of the board of the administrators of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Binay Tamang to inaugurate the five day long Teesta Rangeet Tourism Festival in Darjeeling beginning 27 December.