GTA announces new BPL scheme, ‘Hamro Ghar’

EOI, Darjeeling, 21 September 2014: The Gorkha Territorial Administration today announced a new scheme for the BPL category, which will be implemented after Diwali. Under the scheme the GTA plans to build about 1000 houses for the low-income group.

While talking to the press today, GTA chief Bimal Gurung said, “The GTA is planning to start a housing project of our own named ‘Hamro Ghar’ after Diwali. We plan to build houses for those under the BPL category. In the first phase, we intend to build about 1000 houses in the entire 45 constituencies under the GTA. And in each constituency we hope to build 20 to 25 such houses.”

“To begin with,  we will make a survey as to who needs houses the most after which the work will start with an estimated fund of about 1 lakh 80 thousand rupees for each house,” added Gurung.

According to GTA sources, this scheme will be carried out by the Minority Affairs Department. Gurung also said that the GTA will be sanctioning about 10 crore rupees for the maintenance of the road, stretching from Darjeeling to Sidrapong Hydel Project. Built in the year 1897 during the British rule, the hydel project is said to be the first of its kind in India and probably Asia.

“We have acquired about 35 acres of land for the construction of a central university near Sonada for which the announcement will be made by the Union HRDD Minister Smriti Irani during her visit to the hills shortly” added the GTA chief.