DARJEELING, 21 AUG: A sanitation tax of Rs 10 per day per tourist should
be collected through hotels, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
chief executive Bimal Gurung has directed Darjeeling municipality.
The idea is to clean up Darjeeling, said municipality chairman Amar Singh Rai.
"As Darjeeling receives many tourists almost every season, they are also responsible for polluting Darjeeling to some extent," he said. "However, the confirmation has not been received by the Hotel Owners Association, as they have decided to convene a meeting before taking the matter."
Some municipality councillors say that every time the department tries to do something to improve Darjeeling's infrastructure, associations always object, blocking the effort. The associations are also supporters of the ruling party of the Hills, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha.
"We have lists of plans to improve the infrastructure of the town, but some vested group or association always opposes us so we are unable to implement the work. However, nobody can oppose Mr Bimal Gurung’s decision, if he comes forward and helps the department to improve the infrastructure," said a councillor, on condition of anonymity.
Earlier, the chief himself had visited the owners of 41 shops on Nehru Road and asked them to move to the nearby club stand. The area is being used to build a parking lot for the Planters Hospital.
The owners, however, opposed the municipality for starting the construction without their consent. The shops have not moved yet, as they maintain that the accommodation has not been fixed by the municipality. sns
The idea is to clean up Darjeeling, said municipality chairman Amar Singh Rai.
"As Darjeeling receives many tourists almost every season, they are also responsible for polluting Darjeeling to some extent," he said. "However, the confirmation has not been received by the Hotel Owners Association, as they have decided to convene a meeting before taking the matter."
Some municipality councillors say that every time the department tries to do something to improve Darjeeling's infrastructure, associations always object, blocking the effort. The associations are also supporters of the ruling party of the Hills, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha.
"We have lists of plans to improve the infrastructure of the town, but some vested group or association always opposes us so we are unable to implement the work. However, nobody can oppose Mr Bimal Gurung’s decision, if he comes forward and helps the department to improve the infrastructure," said a councillor, on condition of anonymity.
Earlier, the chief himself had visited the owners of 41 shops on Nehru Road and asked them to move to the nearby club stand. The area is being used to build a parking lot for the Planters Hospital.
The owners, however, opposed the municipality for starting the construction without their consent. The shops have not moved yet, as they maintain that the accommodation has not been fixed by the municipality. sns
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