JOY ROY CHOUDHURY – Kolkata
After assuming office, the newly set up Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has decided to focus on improving and creation of the tourism infrastructure of the Darjeeling hills. The executive committee which met in Darjeeling recently under the chairmanship of Bimal Gurung, chief executive of the board discussed several measures to restore Darjeeling to its past glory. Among the main issues discussed, one of them was turning the liabilities in tourism into an asset so that revenue could be generated and drawing a blueprint to boost tourism.
“A team of GTA members will shortly meet the governor of West Bengal, the chief minister and also the central government. We will request them after assessing the situation we are in right now and the development work that needs to be done. After adopting a resolution, we will ask for whatever help we need from them in terms of overall development of the hills,” said Gurung. “We are committed to the overall development of the Darjeeling hills and turn it into one of the most sought-after hill stations in the country,” said an executive committee member.
The GTA, the hill governing council armed with more powers than the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), was formed recently following the signing of a tripartite agreement between the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the State and the Central Governments last year and subsequent passing of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Act, 2011 in the West Bengal State Assembly.
