GTA holds meet with PWD, suggests alternate roads in Darjeeling Hills

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 14 Sept 2023 | Darjeeling: Stressing the need for better road connectivity as an effective tool to boost tourism, a Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) team held a meeting with the PWD department officials in Nabanna in Howrah on Thursday. The meeting delved into important alternate routes in the Darjeeling Hills to ease traffic congestion. 

A memorandum was also submitted to the PWD Minister, Government of West Bengal. “Tourism is the economic backbone of the Hills. For this infrastructure needs to be improved. To boost tourism road connectivity, especially to tourist spots and destinations, have to be improved. Working on these lines the tourism department has been preparing several projects and forwarding them to the State Government for sanctions. 

These projects had been sent to the West Bengal PWD and the National Highway Authority of India” stated Anit Thapa. The meeting delved into the proposal of an alternative Road of 35 km from Lebong to Teesta Bazaar. 

The survey for the road is on. The proposed road is aimed at decongesting traffic jams between Jorebunglow and Darjeeling town. Though a distance of a mere 8 km, during tourist season it takes more than two hours to cover the distance. 

“It is not only the tourists who suffer in the traffic jam but the school-going children and ambulances with patients too get held up in the traffic. I would request construction of this road be taken up at the earliest” stated Thapa. The GTA also requested the PWD to take up three roads for upgradation and maintenance. 

The three include a 14 km road from 3rd Mile to Lebong via Rangeroong Tea Garden and Pandam Tea Garden. The construction of this road will help in decongesting the traffic choke at Ghoom as at least 30 per cent claims GTA. A 30.234 km road from Bunkulung to Sukhia Pokhri via Nagari Dhajea and Pokhriabong. 

This road can also be an alternative route to Siliguri. A 13.70 km road from Bunkulung to Pankhabari Road Kurseong via Ambotia. This road can also be an alternative route towards Siliguri from Kurseong. The GTA team was led by Anit Thapa. the PWD Secretary was present in the Nabanna meeting. 

Courtesy & source- Milennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/gta-holds-meet-with-pwd-suggests-alternate-roads-in-darjeeling-hills-532889