Hummingbird News Desk
KOLKATA, 18 JUNE: Cooch Behar Trinamul district president Partha Pratim.Roy today told the Press that 2 May after the election results were published, BJP MLAs and MPs have started demanding for a separate statehood.
However, chief minister Mamata Banerjee declared that she won’t further allow Bengal to be divided.
“We have noticed that, after we won on 2nd May, BJP have posted in different pages in
Facebook, demanding for separate statehood of North Bengal and they said that North Bengal is deprived.”
Mr Roy said, however BJP’s elected MP and MLAs had difference in opinion. While some of them have demanded for a different state but many of them appears to be confused. This shows the division in the BJP state leadership.
Mr Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, Trinamu’s Rajya Sabha MP and party’s chief whip in Rajya Sabha said,”KLO (Kamatapur Liberation Organisation) chief Jiban Singh, who at present is underground has shown arms strength and have given a video message “We want a separate state for North Bengal.
BJP MP for Alipurduar John Barla has expressed that North Bengal should be detached and made into a separate union territory stating that no development has taken place in North Bengal.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said, that they should be ashamed after their humiliating loss in the elections but, instead, they are trying to divide Bengal. She has further said that, “I will not allow anyone to divide Bengal.”
In counter to BJP’s claims of no development Mr Roy listed the development that have taken place in North Bengal after Mamata Banerjee came to power in 2011.
In July 2011, North Bengal Development Council was set up for the development of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar,Uttar North and South Dinajpur and Malda. Later Kalimpong was also brought under this council after Kalimpong termed was madder the same. In the FY 2020-21, Rs 776 crores have been allotted for the North Bengal Development Department, he said.
He also said setting up a secreteriat at Uttar Kanya, Dabgram, Siliguri is another bold initiative taken by the present government.
He also said the state government “Cha Sundari” scheme has been launched by the government of West Bengal so that the government can provide houses to the tea workers who are situated in the North Bengal. The main objective of the scheme is to provide benefits to all of the tea labourers. This was started to give permanent residence to around 3 lakh tea employees. In North Bengal there are around 200 tea gardens. For the “Cha Sundari” scheme, work has been started on 200 acres land and Rs 500 crore has been allotted, Mr Roy said.
He said during Mamata Banerjee’s 10 year rule both tourism and tea industry has reached a height.
Tourism Hub will be constructed in Darjeeling’s Lamahatta. In Kalimpong Tashiding tourist lodge, Morgan House’s are under restoration and renovation.
Most of the people are related to tourism in North Bengal. The development in tourism and tea sector has pushed North Bengal towards development.
He said many tea workers talk in the Sadri language, therefore around 100 new schools will be open. Nepali, Kamtapuri, Rajbongshi language schools will also be opened.
North Bengal have been developed in every sector from tourism, health, railways and therefore BJP’s allegation are false and is a method to create chaos amongst the people into a separate district, Mr Roy alleged.
