Hill TMC ups ante for Delhi funds Letter to PM demandsRs 75,000cr for Darjeeling

Shanta Chhetri: File picture

Bireswar Banerjee & Vivek Chhetri   |   TT  |  Darjeeling   |    07.04.23  : Trinamul in the hills has demanded a package of Rs 75,000 crore for Darjeeling from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underlining in writing that despite the BJP winning hill elections since 2009, development has been “nothing significant”.

The BJP has been continuously winning the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat since 2009 and has promised the hill people a “permanent political solution” without defining it, and tribal status for 11 Gorkha communities.

The demands, however, have stayed unmet. 

With panchayat elections around the corner and Lok Sabha polls next year, Trinamul has thrown the development dare at the BJP.

“It is a well-known fact that your party has been winning from the constituency in the hills over the years, but nothing significant has been done by the Central government for the Hills thus far and this is a sentiment expressed by all,” wrote Shanta Chhetri, Trinamul Rajya Sabha member, to the Prime Minister.

She said the hills suffered “immensely” because of agitations and unrest.

BJP MP candidates since 2009, which include veteran leaders Jaswant Singh and S.S. Ahluwalia, and debutant Raju Bista largely won the Darjeeling seat because of support from Bimal Gurung’s Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

The three-phase agitation of 2007, 2013 and 2017 was spearheaded by the Morcha.

But now things have changed, Chhetri said, crediting the "practically peaceful" Darjeeling hills to chief minister Mamata Banerjee's "hard and honest efforts".

In her 15-point demand “for holistic development” of Darjeeling, Chhetri cited redevelopment and beautification of “Himalayan Railways” and forests, better road connection, special package for tea gardens, tourism and establishment of AIIMS, IIT, a sports university, a cancer research institute and techno and IT parks.

“I humbly urge the Hon’ble Prime Minister to release a fund of Rs 75 thousand crores for the Holistic Development of The Hills, so that Darjeeling Hills can contribute to nation building in a formidable way,” stated Chhetri.

Many in the hills believe that the BJP is under pressure for not fulfilling its two core promises here.

“Trinamul seems to be putting more pressure on the BJP on the development plank, although the current MP, Raju Bista, has been vocal in Parliament and has managed to bring more benefits for the constituency compared to previous BJP MPs,” said an observer.

Another observer said that by listing major demands, Trinamul is trying to downplay whatever Bista or his party has done.

The panchayat polls are likely to be a triangular contest in the hills among the alliances of the BJP, Trinamul and the Hamro Party-Morcha combine.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph