West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the TMC has been neglecting the development of the hills, as the BJP has been strong in the area, and promised that his government will work towards developing the region.
He said on Friday that sub-divisional officers (SDOs) will take over the administration, which the CM alleged was being run by political persons in three of the four sub-divisions. “An allocation of ₹180 crore had been sanctioned for the GTA (Gorkha Territorial Administration), but the funds were not released. Later, it was said that ₹170 crore would be provided in the budget, but that too was not received,” he said.
The CM has instructed GTA secretary Shyama Parveen to send out proposals at the earliest after speaking to local bodies.
Adhikari spoke about setting up a medical college in Kalimpong to ensure efficient healthcare facilities in the hills. Officials from the state administration will visit tourist shelters, hospitals and educational institutions in the hills and prepare a list to inform the state government about the requirements and facilities. Tea garden workers, too, are brought into focus, with Adhikari alleging they were neglected as they were not voters of the erstwhile TMC government.
The CM said that 25 tea gardens in North Bengal are closed, leaving many people unemployed. He pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a special package for tea workers, but the former state government did not form the required committee. Assam has implemented this scheme successfully, he noted. “After visiting Assam and reviewing the project, we have asked for the prime minister’s project to be introduced here as well. If implemented, the Centre will provide ₹300 crore in this financial year. If we receive the ₹300 crore, tea workers from the hills to the Terai region will benefit,” said Adhikari.
The Tea Board chairman will visit the hills on June 2.
Floods in the hills last October, during the festive season of Durga Puja, left many dead and homeless. To review the situation of citizens in the hills and help in further natural calamities, the disaster management secretary will visit the hills, and the setting up of Quick Response Team(QRT) will be initiated, the CM announced.
“Today, we are providing ₹3 lakh each for 90 houses. The district magistrate will ensure the work is carried out quickly,” he said.
There will be coordination with the National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) too to assist people in the hills to prevent neglect.
Adhikari cited irregularities in teacher recruitment in the GTA, following which the Calcutta High Court had ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enquiry. “At that time, the state then state government approached the Supreme Court. We are now withdrawing from that case in the Supreme Court. As a result, the CBI investigation will proceed according to the High Court’s order,” explained Adhikari.
The CM also spoke about forming a Special Enquiry Team to investigate corruption in the AMRUT project. “Until the investigation is completed, the agency concerned will remain blacklisted.”
The hills have been the pride of West Bengal tourism. However, the land is prone to floods and landslides, which have affected several people in the past. The hills are run by the GTA, which is a semi-autonomous body, and despite efforts by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee to reform administration in the hills, there was a gap which was left unbridged, which the BJP government is hoping to solve and win the confidence of people in the region.
