Bista seeks Krishi Vigyan Kendra for Darjeeling district

SNS, SILIGURI, 30 AUGUST 21: Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has demanded a separate Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) for Darjeeling district. Such Kendra was established in 1993 in Kalimpong in the undivided Hill region then.

Mr Bista today wrote to Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar about the matter.

"Since the district has been bifurcated into two-Darjeeling and Kalimpong, Darjeeling district does not have any KVK as of today,"Mr Bista said in the letter.

The BJP MP Mr Bista, who is also the general secretary of the party's youth wing at the national level, believes that the establishment of the KVK in Darjeeling region will go along way in the capacity development of farmers, increase in production potential by using assistive technologies and supporting agriculture related initiatives to improve agriculture economy of the region.

Notably, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, coming to power in West Bengal in 2011, created a new Kalimpong district by bifurcating Darjeeling and also created Mirik as a new subdivision within Darjeeling district. 

Notably, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (Bimal Gurung faction) has been demanding administrative reforms by creating new blocks and police stations and even civic bodies (Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti) in rural areas.

However, administrative reforms in the block level are yet to be implemented, while there has been no elected civic body in the rural belt in both Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts for many years now.