Team for north tour projects

Mamata at Chitra Bhanu on Friday. (Amit Datta)

Kalimpong, March 2: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today set up a taskforce to monitor the implementation of all tourism projects she had announced for north Bengal as well as to suggest new ones.

The team that consists of DGHC administrator Anil Verma and representatives of the state tourism and forest departments has been asked to submit a report on the feasibility of the projects within a month.

The formation of the taskforce was announced by tourism secretary Raghavendra Singh here.

The chief minister today held a meeting with tourism department officials at Deolo Point and asked them to invite bids for the tourism parks at Gajoldoba, Saili and Kunjanagar in the Dooars. The projects were announced by Mamata during her previous visits to north Bengal.

“We will set in motion the bidding process in 15 days. The tourism parks will have budget and mid-level accommodations and high-end resorts. The projects will be executed on the PPP model. Rites has been asked to prepare the master-plan for the mega-tourism plan in Darjeeling, and the Dooars and the Terai,” said Singh.

Mamata has also given a go-ahead to the Darjeeling district administration on three more projects — a horticulture college, an orchid research station and a flower-processing and marketing zone.

“The chief minister is very keen on exporting orchids. She feels that the abundance of flora in the hills can be exploited to bring in money. She has said the hill orchids will have a ready market in the West and if proper attention is paid, it will benefit the people,” said a close aide to the chief minister.

Mamata also visited the Pine View nursery, a major tourist attraction known for its cactus collection, and Chitra Bhanu, where Rabindranath Tagore used to stay.(Telegraph)