‘NH 55 to have leveling of road with DHR train track’

Centre to call tripartite meeting on PPS soon, says Raju Bista 

EOI, DARJEELING, 25 MAY 2023 : Darjeeling MP and BJP national spokesperson Raju Bista on Thursday said an approval on principle has been made for a project to widen National Highway 55 by levelling the road with the tracks of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

“To bring forward a solution for the problem of traffic in Darjeeling town an approval in principle has been passed on to the railway and the highway authorities for NH 55 along with the DHR runs. 

The projects involve making the train track at level with the road so that the road can be broadened from the present width 10 feet to 25 feet. The latest technology will be used in this so that the train tracks and the road can be brought to the same level without affecting anything like cutting of trees or the hills. This I feel will provide immediate relief to the public,” said Bista. 

Speaking about the Permanent Political Solution (PPS), Bista claimed that the Union Home Minister had given assurances that a tripartite meeting will be called soon.

“ I had met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi recently regarding four different issues which included PPS, tribal status along with issues of our alliance parties and the panchayat. The tripartite meeting will be held and if Bengal does not participate then a bipartite meeting will be held. I feel that after the tripartite meeting a road map for the PPS wil be formed,” said Bista.

The BJP MP also said that both Gorkhaland and tribal status would be granted in the end and this would be done by the Narendra Modi-led Government. 

“A large percentage of work has been done for the PPS and if the government wants then it can be 100 percent also. Taking full responsibility, I am saying this to the people that everything will happen. If there is someone claiming that they will do it faster then I will support him and cast my vote for him,” he said. 

The MP was in Darjeeling to meet members of Mahakal Gram Sudhar Sangathan (MGSS) which is located below the railway station. Speaking about the problems of the MGSS he said: 

 “They (the residents) have been staying in this colony for hundred years and more, but they tend to get tense after receiving letters from the Railways to vacate their area. It would have been easy to arrive at a settlement for them had it been only the issue of Darjeeling. It could have been done within some months. But whatever formula would be applied here would have to be for the whole country.”

The Darjeeling MP asserted that he had taken up this issue with the concerned Minister and as an immediate relief assurances had been given that no notices would be sent.

“The question of residents being removed does not arise now because the DHR trains do not run in the concerned area. However, since the DHR is a heritage site, we have asked them not to disturb it in any way by erecting constructions blocking views or impacting the heritage in any way,” he said, adding that a long-term settlement was only possible if a Railway Bill regarding such things was passed in Parliament.