MLAs & DMs of North Bengal dists asked to submit report

Pritesh Basu  | MP  |  5 July 2021 | KOLKATA: The state government has taken up the initiative to undertake an overall scheme to fill up the "critical gaps" remaining in terms of development work in North Bengal districts. 

The North Bengal Development department has written to all MLAs and District Magistrates of Malda, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur to submit their survey reports identifying the works that needed to be carried out. 

The main focus would be to ensure better last mile connectivity even in the remotest part of the districts, creation of better infrastructure at 'haats' or weekly markets, setting up of culverts and small bridges. 

The North Bengal districts have witnessed a massive development in the past 10 years with a series of projects being implemented by the Mamata Banerjee government. This came when some BJP MPs had raised the demand to divide North Bengal to create a separate Union Territory. The survey reports on the work that need to be carried out will soon be submitted to the department. Based on the same, a comprehensive scheme for each type of work will be developed and the same will be implemented one after the other on priority basis. 

The Mamata Banerjee government has increased the budget exclusively for development of North Bengal by more than 800 per cent in the past 10 years compared to that of in the last fiscal of the Left Front government and so far spent Rs 4,968.51 crore since 2012-13 fiscal only through the North Bengal Development department. 

At the same time, other departments including Tourism, Industries, MSME, Transport, Agriculture, Irrigation, School Education and Higher Education have also undertaken different development projects. 

"There are many areas in North Bengal districts that remained untouched by any other department for its development. We have decided to carry out the works that are not addressed by any department. For example, there are many such places where a small concrete bridge - to connect two banks of a river - can resolve decades old problems of last mile connectivity," said Sabina Yeasmin, minister of state of North Bengal Development department. 

Connecting villages by constructing proper roads and bridges is one of the significant tasks for rural development. In the last interim budget, the state government has sanctioned Rs 776.51 crore for the development of North Bengal. 

(http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/mlas-dms-of-north-bengal-dists-asked-to-submit-report-445540?infinitescroll=1)