West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced the formation of three more developmental boards for hill people and rolled out a Rs 100-crore project for tea garden workers.
She claimed that the state government could have done much more developmental work for the hill people if it had complete control over local municipalities and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), a semi-autonomous body that administers the Darjeeling hills.
"I visit the hills regularly. I only want the development of my brothers and sisters in the hills. We have already formed 12 developmental boards for the hills. Three more will be set up," said Banerjee, adding that her government has "set up Rs 100 crore project for tea garden workers".
Inaugurating the Uttar Banga Utsav in Kurseong, she said: "The GTA Board and local municipalities are not run by us or else we could have done much more work for the people."
"We want hills to prosper. We want peace. Violence will bear no fruit," the Trinamool Congress chief stated.
Banerjee, on her first trip to north Bengal hills this year, also inaugurated a bouquet of new projects, including launch of tiger safari on Sunday.
"I will come back to the hills again. I want my brothers and sisters in the hills to be happy," she added.
--IANS
mgr/bdc/tsb/dg
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
