'Pahariya Bhawan' handed over to GTA

Darjeeling: The 'Pahariya Bhawan' at Matigarah, Siliguri was officially handed over to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Saturday.

The building was built by the North Bengal Development department. It

was formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in February this year.

The 4-storey building has 13 double-bed rooms and 2 five-bed rooms, along with a kitchen and dining room. The property will be maintained and run by the Tourism department of the GTA.

"The property will be a big help for the people of the Hills. Many people from the Hills come to Siliguri for treatment, job interviews and admission at educational institutes. Instead of costly hotels, they can stay here. I would request that rooms be allotted to the general public on priority basis and not people with recommendation from the higher-ups," stated Anit Thapa, chairman, GTA.

The GTA will soon recruit staff to run the facility. "On Saturday we took over the property officially. We will recruit staff to run the facility and make the property operational at the earliest for the benefit of the masses," Thapa said.