Plains package to match hills bounty

Siliguri, July 19: The chief minister today played the development card for the rest of north Bengal, a day after she handed out to Darjeeling an attractive growth package wrapped in the agreement to set up the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

Announcing a slew of projects here, Mamata once again reminded the dissident voices in the region — the finger of accusation pointed to the CPM — not to disturb the fabric of peace. “We want to create an atmosphere of development in north Bengal. Those who don’t want north Bengal to develop, are trying to create trouble. I am warning them not to play with fire. A turnaround is possible in tourism, tea and herbal plantation. Don’t try to stop the development wagon. Let the hills live, let the plains live. I am soft at heart but I can be strong if anybody tries to stop the development process,” she said, her message meant for the forces that have been calling bandhs to protest the signing of the tripartite agreement on the Darjeeling hills.

The Bangla Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee that is opposed to the hill deal had called a 48-hour bandh from yesterday. On Friday, eight outfits had called a 24-hour bandh across north Bengal to protest the agreement. The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad too had called a two-day shutdown from Saturday, but ended the protest after 24 hours after a government assurance that the outfit would be heard.

At Siliguri’s Kanchenjungha stadium, Mamata waved the green flag while reeling out a stream of railway projects but switching over to the chief minister mode to announce her plans for north Bengal . Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, a number of state ministers and MLAs and government officials were present.

The trial run of the Calcutta-Cooch Behar air service was also “flagged off” by the chief minister. For the first six months the state government will provide a daily subsidy of Rs 80,000 to the airline operating the service. “Balurghat and Malda are next on the list of towns from where air services will start.” Reminding the audience of her promise to make north Bengal a Switzerland, Mamata said she has started the groundwork for the survey to find out how the target could be achieved. “You wait and see how we are going to do it. Once it is ready, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Siliguri, Dooars, Terai, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar will smile,” Mamata said. 

~TT