Lack of development in North Bengal — a strategic area that shares three international boundaries with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh — has suddenly caught the attention of the West Bengal unit of the Congress after Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee visited the Darjeeling hills for two days, showering promises and programmes for the region.
North Bengal has traditionally been a strong bastion of the Congress and Banerjee’s ‘proactive’ role has led to the party pressing the panic button ahead of the crucial Assembly polls next year. The Trinamool Congress chief, during her visit last week, promised to people that she would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demand a special economic package for the region.
The chief of the West Bengal unit of the Congress, Manas Bhuiyan, rushed to Delhi on Friday to meet his political bosses to take approval for holding a meeting on October 6 of various district representatives of North Bengal to decide “on what needs to be done in North Bengal to eradicate its lack of development”.
He told Business Standard “We will talk to various representatives of this area and hear their problems. Then we will come to meet Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to prepare a ‘wish-list’. After preparing the papers, we would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister P Chidambaram and others to appeal to do something for North Bengal.”
The tug of war over development in North Bengal between the two allies is also in anticipation of holding the political space. While the Congress has its last powerhouses in the upper parts of the state, the Trinamool Congress wants to expand its base and is looking towards the same areas.
Apart from holding a key meeting with Gorkha leaders of Darjeeling — who are demanding a separate state — Banerjee promised gauge conversion of railway track between Siliguri and Sukhna, Rs 5 crore for renovation of Rail Museum at Ghum, setting up a camp office of the Railway Recruitment Board in Darjeeling and opening tickets counters.
She also promised the hill people a ropeway and a secretariat if she comes to power in the state next year. The railways will set up a technical training institute, a tourist lodge and a special train. Banerjee also announced jobs for one member each of families of eight martyrs in the Kargil war of 1999.
A worried Congress wants to quickly jump into action before it is too late. When asked if they, too, would ask for a package from the Prime Minister, Bhuiyan said: “First, we have to assess the problem. We have to know what the local people want. Then we will be in a position to place concrete suggestions.”