HC clears formation of three new districts in state

Kalimpong, Asansol and Jhargram would be officially introduced as three new districts of Bengal on Bengali New Year, which falls on April 15, next year.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said in Nabanna before leaving for Lucknow that the Calcutta High Court has given permission to set up the three districts.

Three teams have been formed and members of the teams would visit the places to take stock of the present situation. They will prepare a report about the status quo and steps needed for developing infrastructure.

The team that will visit Kalimpong will be led by Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee. The one going to Asansol will be led by Home Secretary Malay Dey.

The team going for recce of Jhargram will comprise Principal Secretary (Personnel and Administrative Reforms) Manoj Kumar Agarwal, DGP Surajit Kar Purkaysatha and Commissioner of Kolkata Police Rajeev Kumar. The teams will initiate their work as the earliest.

With introduction of the three new districts, Bengal will have 23 districts. The creation of two more districts, Sunderbans and Basirhat, is also in the pipeline.

It may be mentioned that the Chief Minister had earlier announced the formation of the new districts in a bid to ensure better service to the people of Bengal.

The work to develop infrastructure in Kalimpong and Jhargram had already started and the necessary task in all the three new districts would be completed soon.Jhargram had already been announced as a police district to ensure better policing and with the nod of the High Court it will become a full-fledged district in April 2017.o