Bimal Gurung slams state government’s claim of bringing development to hills

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung on Thursday fired  a fresh salvo at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when he asserted her government had failed to usher in development in the hills as promised and of the state government taking taking undue credit for centrally funded schemes. Gurung is keen to implement Model School projects across the hills, funds for which will come from the Centre. Ramakrishna Siksha Parishad School, which is presently in the eye of a storm, has been selected as the first model of the project. But unfortunately, the district administration has put a halt on the on-going Model School construction work at RKSP arguing the new structure would pose a security threat to the Governor’s House located on the opposite side of the road. On Wednesday, the GJM chief threatened to rekindle the statehood agitation and today, he warned of relinquishing his post of chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. “It will not take me more than 10 minutes to give up the chief executive post. We want to run the council smoothly, but the state government keeps creating controversies,” Gurung said in Darjeeling on the sidelines of a programme organised by the GJM’s students’ wing.

Bimal Gurung – a file photo

Taking about Model School project and highlighting RKSP School, he rubbished the claim of development being made by the chief minister. “Bengal has not done anything to develop education in the hills. The  existing education system and the infrastructures were set up by foreign Jesuits and missionaries and no further improvements have been made. That is why we have started the Model School project with financial assistance from the central government,” said the GJM chief. He said plans are afoot to establish eight to nine Model Schools and also to upgrade the existing colleges in the hills with central funding.

Further, Gurung said he would write to the President and the prime minister, the West Bengal governor and also the Union home ministry and apprise them about the RKSP issue. “The state government only says it wants to see the Darjeeling hills on the path of development and progress, but in reality nothing is being done. By stopping the new building to house RKSP School from coming up, the state government is playing with the students’ future,” alleged the GTA chief executive. Gurung said he would leave for Delhi on September 14 for personal work but will try to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and request him to visit the hills in October-November. “I will be in Delhi from September 14 to 16 with some personal work. However, I will try to meet the PM and discuss certain issues with him,” he said.

Asserting he has faith on the central government, the GJM president said a team from the Centre would arrive in Darjeeling on Friday to assess the damage caused by the July landslides that claimed 32 lives. “I had spoken to the Union home minister earlier and as promised, he will be sending a team to assess the extent of damage caused by the recent landslides in the hills. A report will be submitted to the Centre for securing funds,” Gurung said. The GTA has already handed out compensations to the families of the landslide victims and has also assured to rehabilitate those who have lost their homes. The state government too has compensated the victims.

Source EOI