Govt announces Rs 134 cr more for development of Hills

MP, 18 Oct 2017, Kolkata: The Bengal government has allotted another Rs 134 crore to undertake different development works in the Hills. 

This comes after an allotment of Rs 500 crore for the same purpose that was announced on Tuesday. 

It may be mentioned that two days back, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a high-level meeting with representatives of all political parties from the Hills in Nabanna on Monday. 

The Chief Minister had said that Darjeeling is an internationally famous tourist destination and all parties present in the meeting do not want violence. Instead, they want development works to be carried out for the benefit of the peace loving people of the Hills.

Accordingly, the state government has prepared a plan to carry out necessary development works. The Chief Minister had also set up an eight-member Board of Administrators to run the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), whose chairman and vice-chairman are Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa respectively.

The GTA would undertake development works utilising the fund allotted by the state government. According to a senior official in the state secretariat, the Hills Affairs department of Bengal government will be giving the money to carry out various developmental projects. 

It may be mentioned that different infrastructures were damaged during the three-month-long bandh and agitation in the Hills and it led to the harassment of common people. A ration godown and three houses were gutted after being set on fire at Patlebus in Darjeeling on Monday early morning.

On the same day, the Chief Minister held meeting with representatives of political parties from the Hills. Sources said that they have placed some of their demands before the state government and one of their key issues was further development in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and other parts of the Hills. 

The Chief Minister had also assured that the GTA's demand will be examined. 

Following the discussion, the state government has chalked out an elaborate plan to ensure fast and proper implementation of developmental projects as peace has been restored in the Hills. As a result, the state government has first decided to allot Rs 500 crore for the developmental projects and now another Rs 134 crore has been allotted. 

The Chief Minister will be going to Pintel Village in Darjeeling where she will be holding the fourth meeting with representatives of all political parties from the Hills. The Chief Minister had initiated the all party meeting to ensure peace in the Hills and till date, she held three such meetings including two in Nabanna and one at Uttarkanya, the state government's administrative headquarters in North Bengal.