THOROUGHFARE SHUT AFTER TEA LOUNGE LAUNCHProtest at closure of Mirik lake path

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 25 Jan 2020, Darjeeling: Residents of Mirik town are up in arms against the civic body and a tea company after a public thoroughfare to Mirik Lake, the most important tourist point in the hill town, has allegedly been closed to the public after the construction of a tea lounge.

Locals say the pathway was in use since the lake was set up in 1979 and the fact that a government agency had also built a bridge along the pathway suggests that the path was endorsed by the administration. Arbin Subba, president, Krishnanagar Club, Mirik, said: “We strongly believe closure of public pathway that has been in use for the past 41 years is against public interest. ”Representatives of 11 social and business organisations in Mirik submitted memorandums to Mirik sub-divisional officer and chairman of Mirik municipality on January 20,2019.“ Thrubo tea garden, which is under Goodricke Group Limited, has constructed a lounge(which was inaugurated a week ago)and put up a huge gate at the entrance to what used to be a public thoroughfare," alleged Subba. "The municipality used to collect parking fees from inside the gate area and there are also public toilets there. There are other entrances to the lake, but the pathway under glare was the most popular and provided an easy access to tourists and locals alike.

The Goodricke Group Limited has launched its iconic Goodricke Teapot's premium lounge ­ "Tea by the Lake", which overlooks the Sumendhu Lake, more popularly called the Mirik Lake.

An official of the tea company said a "passage" would be created "from the side of the big gate (which is currently closed)" for the public after the construction of the children park is completed "every soon. Speaking to The Telegraph, the company officials also raised other issues.

"We are helping construct a children park in the area. Once the construction of the children park is completed, we will create a small passage from the side of the big gate so that the public can have a free access to the children park," the official said.

Asked if they were encroaching on public land, the official added that the land "technically" belonged to Thurbo tea garden and also all construction had been done as per the approval of the building plan sanctioned of Mirik municipality.

L.B. Rai, chairman, Mirik municipality said: "Since construction is taking place we have closed the path so that there is no disturbance from the public. Once, the construction is over we will open the path. The locals are not convinced with Rai's explanation. Arbin Subba, the activist, alleged: "Even during the earlier chairman tenure of Rai there has been a similar encroachment of the lake by a hotel. Assurances were first made but nothing happened later. The Mirik Lake is under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The hill body, however, termed the move to block the existing thoroughfare as "illegal." "The land might belong to the garden but blocking a public pathway, which was in use for very long, is illegal. If the pathway is not opened we will take legal action," said Suraj Sharma, assistant director of tourism, GTA.