Mamata Banerjee to go on third north Bengal visit

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will set out for her four-day tour of north Bengal on Tuesday.

This is the third time Banerjee will be visiting north Bengal, after Trinamool Congress came to power for the second time with a land slide victory in the Assembly election in May. Sources said that Banerjee will leave for Bagdogra from Kolkata in a flight around 1.30 pm on Tuesday.

On Tuesday evening, the Chief Minister will attend a programme at Siliguri where she will be distributing bicycles among school goers under the Sabuj Sathi project.

After attending the programme in Siliguri, she will go to Kalimpong, and will be attending two separate programmes of the Tamang Board and Lepcha Board.

The Tamang Board programme at Graham Home Ground is scheduled for September 21, while the Lepcha Board programme at Mela ground is scheduled for September 22.

However, according to some officials in Uttar Kanya there is a possibility that the programmes of both the boards’ could be held on September 21.

If both the programmes take place on September 21, then Banerjee would visit Darjeeling the next day. In case the Lepcha Board programme takes place on September 22, it is unlikely that Banerjee would visit Darjeeling this time. If she does not visit Darjeeling, the Chief Minister would then go straight to Bagdogra airport from Kalimpong on Friday. She will leave for Kolkata from Bagdogra on the evening on September 23.

It may be mentioned that Banerjee had announced the formation of the Lepcha Development Board and Tamang Development Board during her last visit to Darjeeling. The people of Siliguri and Kalimpong are reportedly very eager to welcome the Chief Minister. A felicitation will be held by the local people.

Senior administrative and police officers were busy in preparation for the Chief Minister’s visit. Sources said that during the visit she would also take stock of certain projects of the state government. As a result, senior administrative officials were busy in preparing reports on progress of project works, sources said.

Senior police officers held meetings to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the Chief Minister’s visit.