Darj body to push for Corporation status

SNS, DARJEELING, 6 SEPTEMBER 2020: An apolitical body, Darjeeling Municipality Corporation Demand Committee (DMCDC), was formed today, comprising different organisations and individuals.

The committee, which was formed with initiation of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (Binoy Tamang faction) has representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, business establishments, NGOs, transport organisations, legal cell, and education sector as members.

"The demand for up-gradation of the Darjeeling Municipality into a corporation has been made over the years. We have also taken it up with the state government, which is positive on it. Our party had taken up the matter with the Bengal CM and the minister concerned in December 2019 and February 2020," Morcha leader Binoy Tamang said.

"The Darjeeling Municipality is one of the oldest municipalities in Bengal, formed on July 1,1850, and an apolitical body was required to take forward the demand of converting it into a corporation," he added.

An ad-hoc committee of the body was also formed today with Amar Singh Rai and Jorden Bhutia as the chief convenors and 14 other convenors.

"Many maintain that the Darjeeling Municipality does not meet certain criteria for up-gradation, like the population, which should be 10 lakh. However, the state government could make an amendment," Mr Tamang said.

He gave examples of Siliguri, which, when made a Corporation, had only 3 lakh plus population, while he added that there were cases where hill stations were made into a corporation after an amendment being done like Himachal Pradesh and Gangtok.

"This new body will start work on drafting plans, while we will take up the demand with the state government," he said. He, however, added that there will not be any agitation to press for the demand.

(Courtesy & source- The Statesman-  https://epaper.thestatesman.com/2812559/Siliguri-The-Statesman/07-TH-SEPTEMBER-2020#page/2/1)