Mamata: More scope to develop Darjeeling than Switzerland

IE, Kolkata, Sun Oct 27 2013: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated her stand on undivided Bengal and said the hills would remain an integral part of the state. 

"Hills will always remain with us. And plains are with us too. We will develop the hills and plains together," a buoyant Mamata said at Matigara in Siliguri in North Bengal. 

The Chief Minister went on to say that there was more scope to develop Darjeeling than Switzerland. 

"Switzerland is beautiful but Darjeeling has different kinds of beautiful places. Kalimpong's beauty is different from Kuseong and Lamahata's beauty is different from Lolegaon. I have told my officers to work for betterment," she said at a government function. 

Mamata also claimed there were certain political parties who wanted to "divide and rule" the state. 

"There are some people who want to split Darjeeling, split Terai and Dooars, split Jalpaiguri. They have nothing else to do. They demand a separate state for Kamtapur and a separate Cooch Behar . They do nothing but extort money from the people," she said while addressing a gathering at Matigara in the district. 

She also blamed the Left Front government for neglecting the hills, adding there has been no development in the 34 years that they were in power . 

She said a master plan for development of tourism in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch behar districts was being prepared. 

A mini secretariat would be inaugurated in north Bengal to decentralise the administration and expedite development programmes, she added.