Darjeeling: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be visit
Darjeeling from September 3 and hold an administrative meeting with the
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) to expedite development
work.
The three-day visit, expected to yield a bouquet of
development initiatives, comes at a time the hills are increasingly
showing signs of disillusionment with the BJP.
"During our visit
to Calcutta recently, it was tentatively decided that the chief minister
would be visiting Darjeeling during the first week of October. However,
yesterday, I received a call from the chief minister's office of her
visit to Darjeeling from September 3," Binay Tamang, the chairman of the
GTA's board of administrators, said.
The
chief minister is expected to review the functioning of the GTA - the
new board is about to complete a year in office, and iron out any
pressing issues that might have cropped up in development work.
"On September 5, she will be laying the foundation stone of
Greenfield University from Chowrasta. We will also request her to start
administrative work of the varsity from a temporary place until
construction of building is completed," said Tamang. The administrative
meeting is likely to be held on September 4.
The GTA also wants
Mamata to flag off a Rs 12-crore beautification plan for the Chowrasta,
the most famous tourist spot in Darjeeling. "Tenders for the first
phase, worth Rs 6 crore work, have already been floated. We want the
chief minister to flag off the work," said Tamang.
The GTA
chairperson said a lot of potential investors were showing interest in
Darjeeling following a business meet organised by the state government
and GTA in March this year.
"You might be aware that the Taj
(hotels) is already coming up with a project at Makaibari. Other chains
like Hyatt and ITC have also started preliminary rounds of talks with us
to set up a five-star hotels in the region," said Tamang.
Preliminary
talks have started to take over Peshok and Dhoteray Kaley Valley tea
gardens, both closed. "Potential owners, however, want to set up tourism
facilities in the garden apart from running the estate," said Tamang.
Issues
like land clearance for setting up fire stations in the hills at
Sukhiapokhri, Algarah and Gorubathan are also likely to be discussed
with Mamata.
Observers believe that the development initiatives
at a time there is a growing feeling that BJP has let the hill people
down would corner the party in the hills further.
The Telegraph
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