The chief minister’s visit comes after the peaceful GTA elections in which several parties are in the fray for the first time.
The chief minister’s visit comes after the peaceful GTA elections in which several parties are in the fray for the first time.
Participating in the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected members of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged the people of Darjeeling hills to maintain peace, asserting that development can happen only when there is lasting peace.
“You have to promise me something. Whatever any politician says in the times to come, you will not allow any disturbance in the hills. If there is peace in the hills, only then the economy will grow,” Ms. Banerjee told a gathering in the hills. In Darjeeling, 45 elected members of the GTA took oath in the presence of the Chief Minister. Elections to the GTA, a regional autonomous body, were held on June 26 after a gap of 10 years. The newly formed Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) had 45 Won 27 of the GTA seats, Hamro Party won eight, Trinamool Congress five and Independents five. BGPM chief Anit Thapa, considered close to the TMC leadership, is expected to be appointed as the GTA president. Chances are.
“Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik are ideal destinations for the IT industry. We are coming up with a big silicon hub on 200 acres of land in the state. If you can keep the peace, I can request the IT people to set up their industries in Darjeeling.Mamata BanerjeeChief Minister, West Bengal
The Chief Minister congratulated the people of the hills for the peaceful elections. “Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik are ideal destinations for the IT industry. We are coming up with a big silicon hub on 200 acres of land in the state. If you can maintain peace, I can request the IT people to set up their industries in Darjeeling.”
development projects
He announced several development projects for the Darjeeling hills and said that in the last 10 years, the state government had given 7,000 crores to GTA, but still there was hardly anything to show for it.
Referring to the water crisis in the hills, the Chief Minister said that piped water would reach every household by the end of 2024.
“We have provided skill training to 30,000 boys and girls as per the requirements of various industries. Now these 30,000 youth will be absorbed in industries. We want to do something on those lines here too,” Ms. Banerjee said. The chief minister also assured that Hill University in Mungpu would soon open, as well as a campus of the Presidency College in Kurseong.
During his address, the Chief Minister also talked about illegal constructions on the hills and wondered what would happen if an earthquake struck the region. “Today I don’t know what would happen if an earthquake strikes Darjeeling… From now on, a system should be followed while building on hills,” he said, adding that earlier efforts were being made for mindless construction in the region. blamed the government.
change from one party rule
The chief minister’s visit to the Darjeeling hills assumes significance as it comes in the backdrop of peaceful elections to the GTA, which took place after a period of 10 years. The elections also saw the participation of several parties, a departure from the one-party rule in the hills. The most significant development, however, has been the Trinamool Congress’s winning seats in the hills, where politics has focused on identity and the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state since the 1980s.