Mamata announces slew of developmental measures and welfare schemes for the hills :GTA employees would be entitled to the death and retirement benefit schemes.

 GTA employees would get a gratuity of Rs 20 lakh along with 10 months of leave encashment." 

EOI, DARJEELING, DEC 8, 2023 :  Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced a slew of development benefits and schemes for the Hills people. Banerjee while speaking from Monteviot ground in Kurseong said the GTA employees would be entitled to the death and retirement benefit schemes. 

Explaining, she said, "The death and retirement benefit scheme for GTA employees were not there earlier but now we will implement it. It means that for those who were absorbed from the DGHC to the GTA when it was formed would get a gratuity of Rs 20 lakh along with 10 months of leave encashment." 

"For the GTA regular employees their salary will be enhanced according to 2009 and 2019 pay rule," she added. The other assurances given by her includes water in houses till the year 2026. 

"We want to provide water in all houses with our tragedy being taking it to 3 lakh 32,000 houses in Darjeeling district in which we have already reached water to 83,000 houses. In Kalimpong District our target is reaching water to 65,000 houses from which water has reached 22, 000 houses. By 2026 our target will be completed," Banerjee said. 

Today, more than Rs.200 crore of projects was inaugurated or their foundation stone laid with 14 in Darjeeling district and 21 in Kalimpong. 

She also announced Rs 75 crore for the GTA as funds. The other important declaration made by the Bengal CM was handing over parja patta to the tea garden workers after survey was done of how much area were under their posession. Other announcements included commencement of Regional Service Commission (RSC) and the District School Board (DSB) in the GTA. 

"The RSC was closed in the year 2003 which will again be started. After it opens the 590 vacancies that are there in primary and secondary schools can be addressed. Similarly, there are around 1,000 vacancies in the District Board and having a DSB can address that. An ad-hoc committee for the DSB will be ready for Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts," she said. 

Banerjee said that a project of Rs 3 lakh for tea beautification would also start along with pakka houses for tea labors for which a survey will be done first. Today along with different announcements and inauguration the chief minister also distributed cheques of Rs 75,000 each for the Teesta flash flood affected people in Kalimpong district. 

She distributed cheques to 100 such people with the rest 507 to be distributed in camps tomorrow. 

Speaking further in the programme today she said, "Every 5 years there is someone that causes disturbance in the hills due to which development is affected. If the hills remain peaceful much more can be done".