Siliguri, Dec 13 (Siliguri Journal) – Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister, shared exciting news for Siliguri on Tuesday. She revealed plans for important projects to improve the city, like a drinking water system, a cancer hospital, an underground power cable network, and a sewerage treatment plant. She’s counting on the people’s support for these positive changes.
These announcements hold special importance because Trinamul has never won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, which includes the Siliguri subdivision. Mamata emphasized unity with the crowd, saying, “Be with me, Didi is with you,” during the public service distribution event at Kanchenjungha Stadium.
Mamata Banerjee shared, “Today, I laid the foundation stones of 47 projects (in Siliguri sub-division), the estimated cost of which is Rs 1,149.12 crore. I also inaugurated projects for which another Rs 28.12 crore would be spent.”
Following the 2021 Assembly elections, Trinamul lacks MLAs in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, making them the only districts without Trinamul representation. Although a BJP MLA in Alipurduar initially added to this count, later, they joined Trinamul.
Notably, recent successes in local polls for Trinamul and its hill ally, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, suggest increasing support. The significant project announcements in Siliguri ahead of general elections signal Trinamul’s focus on winning the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, as observed by political analysts.
Mamata Banerjee unveiled a series of impactful projects, including a Rs 511-crore drinking water initiative for Siliguri’s civic area, a Rs 100-crore cancer care hospital, and the commencement of a Rs 218-crore underground power cable network in the city’s first phase. Additionally, a Rs 225-crore sewerage treatment plant at the Mahananda and Balason rivers’ confluence is in the pipeline.
During the event, Mamata also inaugurated various roads and related infrastructure in both urban and rural areas. Notably, she distributed assistance under social welfare schemes, directly benefiting 12,000 individuals in Siliguri.
During her recent visit to north Bengal, which concluded on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extensively toured Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar districts. Notably, these areas have traditionally seen BJP success in both Lok Sabha (all three seats) and the majority of Assembly seats (14 out of 17).
With the approaching Lok Sabha polls, Mamata Banerjee strategically emphasizes the development agenda once more. Her government is also addressing longstanding demands, such as granting land rights to tea workers, as observed by political analysts.
BJP MP Raju Bista from Darjeeling has accused the state government of neglecting the region for an extended period. He contends that the authorities view the area merely as a revenue-generating outpost, despite north Bengal contributing significantly—ranging from Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore—to the state exchequer. According to him, the Trinamul government has not adequately addressed the developmental requirements of the region.
