State Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Pal said that the previous government only made announcements instead of developing the hills. Minister Agnimitra Pal, who is on a tour of the hilly areas of West Bengal in Darjeeling, inspected several development projects on Monday and launched a strong attack on the previous government. She categorically said that the financial transactions and workings of 16 different development boards formed by the previous government will be investigated, and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will not be left out of the purview of the investigation. The minister visited Mirik Lake. After offering prayers at the Mahakal Temple on Tuesday morning, the minister, accompanied by MP Raju Bista, visited various areas. She first inspected the drinking water project in the Sinchal area and inquired about the progress of work and the timeline for completion of the project with the engineers. She then inspected the ICDS centre in Happy Valley and inquired about the facilities and staffing issues there. The minister also visited Mirik Lake and discussed plans to make it more attractive for tourism.
Puja at Pashupati Temple She also stressed on the need to develop modern facilities in the lake complex. During the visit, the minister also visited the Pashupati Temple on the Indo-Nepal border. She then inspected the under-construction bridge in Dudhia area. The bridge was damaged due to heavy rains last year and is yet to be completed. The minister questioned the officials about the delay in the construction and directed them to complete the work as soon as possible. Talking to reporters after the inspection, Agnimitra Pal said that the previous government had only made announcements instead of developing the hills. There are no accounts of the 16 development boards. She alleged that huge amounts have been given to the 16 boards, but there is no proper accounting.
Therefore, all the boards will be investigated and the work of the GTA will also be reviewed. She said that the government is giving priority to development projects. After the completion of the ongoing drinking water project in Sinchel, the water crisis in the hills will be reduced to a large extent. The area around Mirik Lake will be developed as a modern tourist destination and facilities like WiFi will be provided for the convenience of tourists. Dudhe Bridge to be completed by 2027 The minister also announced that the Dudhe Bridge will be completed by 2027. Moreover, those whose houses were damaged in last year’s rains and received only Rs 60,000 assistance will receive the remaining Rs 60,000 soon. She said that she will give necessary instructions to the officials in this regard.
