Development on lips, CM in hills next week

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Aug 30, 2018, Darjeeling: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be visiting Darjeeling from September 3 and hold an administrative meeting with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) to expedite development work.

The three-day visit, expected to yield a bouquet of development initiatives, comes at a time the hills are increasingly showing signs of disillusionment with the BJP.

"During our visit to Calcutta recently, it was tentatively decided that the chief minister would be visiting Darjeeling during the first week of October. However, yesterday, I received a call from the chief minister's office of her visit to Darjeeling from September 3," Binay Tamang, the chairman of the GTA's board of administrators, said.

The chief minister is expected to review the functioning of the GTA - the new board is about to complete a year in office, and iron out any pressing issues that might have cropped up in development work.

"On September 5, she will be laying the foundation stone of Greenfield University from Chowrasta. We will also request her to start administrative work of the varsity from a temporary place until construction of building is completed," said Tamang. The administrative meeting is likely to be held on September 4.

The GTA also wants Mamata to flag off a Rs 12-crore beautification plan for the Chowrasta, the most famous tourist spot in Darjeeling. "Tenders for the first phase, worth Rs 6 crore work, have already been floated. We want the chief minister to flag off the work," said Tamang.

The GTA chairperson said a lot of potential investors were showing interest in Darjeeling following a business meet organised by the state government and GTA in March this year.

"You might be aware that the Taj (hotels) is already coming up with a project at Makaibari. Other chains like Hyatt and ITC have also started preliminary rounds of talks with us to set up a five-star hotels in the region," said Tamang.

Preliminary talks have started to take over Peshok and Dhoteray Kaley Valley tea gardens, both closed. "Potential owners, however, want to set up tourism facilities in the garden apart from running the estate," said Tamang.

Issues like land clearance for setting up fire stations in the hills at Sukhiapokhri, Algarah and Gorubathan are also likely to be discussed with Mamata.

Observers believe that the development initiatives at a time there is a growing feeling that BJP has let the hill people down would corner the party in the hills further.