Govt plans development council for Terai Dooars

March 29: The Bengal government has decided to form a development council to focus on the Terai and Dooars region, a highly-placed government source said today.

“Some formalities are pending after which, the council would come into force. The council would be headed by a chairman and will comprise four-five government nominees. It is also likely to have a separate allocation of funds with which, it would carry out development work for the deprived population of the Terai and Dooars,” the source said over phone from Calcutta.

That the ruling Trinamul Congress is keen on winning over tribals and the Gorkhas in the run-up to the panchayat elections is no secret. Asked who would head the council, the source in Calcutta said Wilson Champramari, the once Morcha-supported Independent MLA of Kalchini who has recently joined Trinamul, was the choice.

“So far, it has been decided that Champramari would be made the chairman of the council. Once the council is formally announced, names of the other nominees would be made public,” the source said on condition of anonymity as a formal announcement is awaited from the government in Calcutta.

The source added that “issues such as the jurisdiction of the council and whether it would be under any government department like the north Bengal development department or directly under the state government, are yet to be known”.

About finalising the jurisdiction, the source said it was yet to be worked out if urban areas such as Siliguri and Malbazar would come under the planned council or only rural areas would be its focus.

The Dooars and Terai are a part of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s larger plan of a Gorkhaland state.

These areas are not in the GTA’s jurisdiction but have a significant Gorkha population. The Morcha, which has been sparring with the state government of late, would not like another political party to make a base in the Dooars and Terai.

Senior Morcha leader Roshan Giri, when told about the government’s decision to form the council, said: “Trinamul is simply trying to distract people from the agendas of backwardness and unemployment by announcing such councils, one after another. We firmly believe that comprehensive development of Dooars and Terai can be done only if these areas are included under the GTA.”

Morcha leaders had thrown a dare to Champramari to try and contest from his seat on a Trinamul ticket.

This is the third development body the state government has decided to form in north Bengal in past three months.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee in January announced the formation of a Lepcha development board, a move that upset the Morcha, and a Buddhist development council.

Champramari, who arrived at Hasimara station from Calcutta today, said: “The central leaders of the Morcha are least bothered about the development of the Terai and Dooars. We waited for months but there was no concrete activity or positive gesture from the Morcha that would have helped in the development of these areas. This apathy has prompted me and several other Morcha leaders to join Trinamul.”

Asked about the council, he said: “I cannot comment on anything. Whatever notification has to be done, would be done from Writers’ Buildings.”

The Telegraph