CM MAY ANNOUNCE 2 SEPARATE DEVELOPMENT BOARDS -GURUNG AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES LIKELY TO GET SEPARATE BOARDS

SNS, Kurseong 20 January 2017: During her Darjeeling hills visit, state chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee is likely to announce atleast two different hill community-based development boards, namely Gurung board and minority board.

The representatives of the Gurung Community under the banner of the Gurung Sangathan Darjeeling and the representatives from Muslim Community under the banner of the Pahadia Muslim Welfare Society are hopeful and busy preparing different strategies and plans to welcome the chief minister in a grand manner during her four-day visit to Kurseong and Darjeeling hills.

Talking to the reporters, Pahadia Muslim Welfare Society, president Mr Aarif Khan who is also Trianmul leader from Kurseong said that they are absolutely certain and hopeful that during Miss Banerjee's Darjeeling hills visit, she will 'definitely announce a separate development board for the welfare and all-round development for the Muslim people in the Hills.

He further informed that since 2014, they have been demanding a separate development board for the Muslim community and accordingly they have served several deputations to the chief minister and other ministers and officials concerned over their demand.

He also added that the officials and ministers concerned, and also the state chief minister herself had assured a positive response regarding the formation of their development board. Hence, they are really hopeful, he added.

He also said that due to some technical problems, they have tailed to receive a separate development board on time earlier. "But now we hope that, the government will definitely rectify such technical problems and announce a separate board for the upliftment of the Muslim minority people," he added.

He also claimed that they have plans to welcome Miss Banerjee at Kurseong in a grand manner as a large number of Muslim people have been joining them from different places in the hills for her welcome. Along with a separate development board for the minority people, the chief minister is also likely to announce a development board for the Gurung community

Mr Binanjay Gurung, representative of the Gurung Sangathan Darjeeling said that they had continuously been in touch with Kolkata over their demand and they are hopeful that this time the chief minister will announce a board for them.

Not only this, besides the Gurung and Muslim Minority development board, she is also likely to announce a separate board for the Harizan Community. Notably, amidst several stirs in Darjeeling hills, the state chief minister had already formed several community based development boards in the hills.

Interestingly 'despite strong objections by the ruling GJMM party in the hills regarding the formation of the boards, the trend of demanding separate development boards by the different communities is still going on in the hills.