Probe reveals Kalimpong Girl’s HS, shopping complex plots are private

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 6 July 2023, Darjeeling: The school land in question in Kalimpong, over which a probe had been ordered by the Bengal government based on a complaint lodged by Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, does not belong to the government. 

The plot over which the Kalimpong Girls’ High School stands and the plot on which the shopping complex “Big Will Mart“ has come up both are recorded under the name of Church of North India Trust Association (CNITA), hence are private plots and not public. 

A report to this effect will be submitted by the Kalimpong District Administration to the Directorate of School Education, West Bengal, soon. 

Administrative sources stated that according to the findings of the probe, CNITA had multiple plots of land and a vesting procedure was on. In 2019 there was a case against the Church, in which the High Court ordered the completion of the vesting process immediately. 

In 2020 this was completed and the Church was allowed to retain 24 acres of land. Under the procedure, the Church opted to retain certain plots. 

The source stated that both the plots where the shopping complex has come up and the plot on which the Kalimpong Girl’s High School was built in 1890 by the missionaries is private land and belong to the Church. 

The school is a minority school. The District Land and Land Reforms department has already submitted a report to this effect to the District Magistrate, Kalimpong. This will now be forwarded to the School Education Department, West Bengal, added the administrative source. 

Incidentally, BJP MP Raju Bista, alleging rampant corruption in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration had written to West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose; Ministers in charge of school education and PWD, Government of West Bengal requesting a detailed investigation into the construction of a “massive shopping complex by usurping the land belonging to Kalimpong Girl’s HS school and the PWD”. 

In his complaint, Bista questioned whether the handing over of land was officially approved by PWD, What was the price charged for selling public land to a private builder? He had expressed fear that there were fraudulent activities involved by a few officials associated with the Education department or school or the Kalimpong Municipality. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/probe-reveals-kalimpong-girls-hs-shopping-complex-plots-are-private-524692