Mamata to lay foundation stone of hill university in Darjeeling on Sept 5

EOI, DARJEELING, 30 Aug 2018: On a visit to Darjeeling from September 3, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will lay the foundation stone for a new state university to be set up in Mungpo. The Bill for establishing the university was passed in the State Assembly last month.

On Wednesday, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chairman Binoy Tamang said the Bengal chief minister had initially planned to visit the hills in October; but has changed her mind. “On Tuesday the C.M. called me to inform that she will be coming to the hills on September 3. She will also lay the foundation stone for the Greenfield University on September 5 in a programme at Chowrasta,” he said.

The Bengal chief minister is sharing a renewed bonhomie with the hills after the present dispensation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) took control, under Tamang’s leadership.

Former GJM president Bimal Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri along with a few other senior leaders are on the run, after the police crackdown on the statehood agitation last year that claimed 13 lives.

“We thank the CM for her prompt response to our demand for a university and also get a Bill passed in the Assembly. A separate university in the hills has been our dream of several decades,” Tamang said.

The new university will be set up at Jogi Ghat near Mungpo under Darjeeling sub-division. The Darjeeling district administration and the GTA have already identified 100 acres for construction of the university. “Construction work for the university will commence in a couple of months after the laying of the foundation stone. We expect the work to finish within two years,” the GTA chairman said.

During her stay, the Bengal CM will also hold a meeting with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration on September 4, to review the ongoing development work in the hills and a list of those to be taken up on priority.

Speaking about the issues that would be discussed in the meeting, the GTA chairman said: “The work the GTA has done on roads, schools, health and drinking water will be some of the issues in the meeting along with the projects which we will take up like communication which includes roads and bridges; as well as housing for the poor, drinking water schemes, DRDC, health and family welfare, education, and beautifications in the urban sector.”

Issues such as leasing out GTA guest houses, building a few more car parking lots, proposal for setting up fire stations in Sukhia Pokhari, Gorubathan and Algarah and prospective investors showing interest in establishing their business in the region would also be discussed with the chief minister.

“Investors are showing keen interest in the hills. Some of them have already come to identify land. The Taj group is building their hotel in Makaibari tea garden in Kurseong, while the Hyatt and ITC group will also follow suit. Nicco Park also has their projects planned in the hills. These are good signs that the hills is the place to invest,” Tamang said.