GTA chief executive outlines dev plans for hills

Darjeeling

9 Jan 2014

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief executive Bimal Gurung today outlined development plans for the hills that included new townships. He added preparations are on for implementing them within March of this year.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with party workers and supporters at the sub-divisional office in Darjeeling, the GJM chief said, “We have to utilise Rs200 crore within March. For this we have chalked out various development projects for the hills.”

However, he did not say if the funds were part of what the central government had pledged when the GTA agreement was signed in July 2011.

Plans are afoot to build new townships to mitigate the burgeoning population in the three hill towns of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.

“Besides the population, there is manifold increase in construction in the three towns. The load is immense and to ease this burden, we have plans to construct satellite towns,” according to Gurung.

In Darjeeling sub-division, a new township is expected to come up from Happy Valley to Rangit Tea garden, while the new satellite town in Kurseong will be built at Monteviot and the process of identifying space for a township in Kalimpong is in progress.

The GTA chief executive also said he would lay the foundation stone for a passenger ropeway from Giddeypahar to Rohini in Kurseong sub-division on January 22.

“Besides the ropeway, I will also visit Sukna the following day to lay another foundation stone for a model school. On January 13, I will be in Borbotey for a brick laying ceremony of a high school,” informed Gurung.

Giving priority to education, the GTA has identified a plot of land for building a medical college in Kurseong, while space is being searched for an engineering college in Takdah.

“We will give importance to education and initiate infrastructure works in the days to come,” said Gurung.

The GTA will also build four bridges in Lodhoma, Pokhraybong-Malat, Jangapana-Ghoomti and Pumong- Teesta Valley to connect various rural areas.

“More than Rs15 crore will be utilised for construction of bridges so that people living in far flung areas have access to various villages,” informed the GTA chief executive.

Plans are also on to renovate the Rock Garden and Gangamaya Park near Dali in Darjeeling that was destroyed by the cyclone Aila.

“We will renovate the Rock Garden and Gangamaya Park in three phases. Likewise, other tourist spots will also be given an uplift to attract tourists,” said Gurung.

A super specialty hospital at Sukna is also under consideration although land is not immediately available.

“Sukna is a vantage point and a super specialty hospital there would be convenient for people. However, procuring land is a big problem and hence we are thinking of shifting the project to Dhudey”, revealed the GTA chief executive.