SNS
Kalimpong,22nd Sept

Keeping an eye on the upcoming municipal elections in Darjeeling Hills chief minister Mamata Banerjee virtually begged votes from the Hill people after of fering a new Kalimpong district, bifurcating the existing Darjeeling district.

Addressing the programme of the Development board in Kalimpong today
Miss Banerjee expressed her unhappiness over the upsetting results for Trinamul
Congress candidates in the Hills in the Lok Sabha and the last Assembly elections.

“How can I bring in development for Darjeeling? We don’t have MP and MLA’s here. Even municipalities are not under our control. We have nothing here.
Despite that we have been carrying out developmental works through the development boards,” the chief minister said.

“I come to Darjeeling Hills repeatedly. Though people here refuse me, I come here frequently with an appeal to the people. Despite refusal I come and I will be coming,” Mamata Banerjee said.

“Municipality election will be held in Darjeeling. Panchayat bodies have been defunct since many days.We would ask the state election commission to conduct polls independently.Twotier rural polls should be held in Darjeeling Hills for the
region’s development, though the matter is pending for constitutional recognition
in Delhi,”Miss Banerjee said.

The chief minister said any elected body would have to work for development.

“If our party is elected we must work for development. After winning election if the other party does not work, such practice cannot continue,” she added.

Without naming the political party, chief minister Miss Banerjee claimed,
“After formation of the GTA they did nothing in last four years, though we have extended cooperation by granting funds and transferring departments.”

Miss Banerjee claimed that her government has allotted Rs 6 crore for the formation of the Kalimpong district and it will start functioning after receiving clearance from the judiciary.The CM also said that after Diwali
she will come in the Hills and announce more developmental projects and
boards.

“Do developmental work seriously; there is no scarcity of funds. We want permanent solution of the problems of the Hill people,” she added.