Finger at Partha for cancelled meet Mamata’s thanks and projects

Arnab Ganguly, TT,  Madarihat, June 4: Mamata Banerjee today launched a number of projects for north Bengal and thanked the people of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Lok Sabha seats for electing Trinamul Congress candidates.

The MPs of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, Bijoy Chandra Barman and Dasarath Tirkey, respectively, could not attend the programme at Madarihat Girls’ High School ground as they were in Delhi to take the oath.

“Prathamei aapnader dhanyabad janai, aapnara amader mone rekhechhen, samarthan korechhen. Ei jelay aapnara ashirbad diyechhen (First of all I must thank you. You remembered us, supported us and have blessed us in this district),” Mamata said.

She laid the foundation stones for several projects from the same venue. Kisan mandis at Nagrakata, Madarihat and Dhupguri, road upgrade at Marugunj in Tufangunj, a bridge over the Ghargharia river, Hindi-medium college and a residential school at Banarhat, and a hostel for minority girls in Cooch Behar were the projects the chief minister launched.

Madarihat is 130km from Siliguri.

“A new district will help build infrastructure. Jalpaiguri is a very big district. The state administration is ready with all paperwork for the creation of Alipurduar district. But, a nod is also required from the judiciary,” she said.

The chief minister is scheduled to spend two more days in Alipurduar subdivision. She had initially planned to stay at the PWD guest house at Jayanti and then proceed to Rajabhatkhawa for meetings of the Tribal Development Council and the North Bengal Development Council.

However, Mamata thought that her stay at Jayanti would create problems for the local people and moved to a tourist lodge run by the Forest Development Corporation at Rajabhatkhawa. “However, she was unhappy with the accommodation at Rajabhatkhawa. The chief minister said the rooms are too small and wondered how the tourists could stay there. She scolded the officials and moved out of the lodge,” said a source.

Finally, Mamata checked into a tourist lodge at Madarihat. The meetings will be held at Madarihat, instead of Rajabhatkhawa, tomorrow.