TMC's poll plank for Siliguri civic elections is Mamata govt's dev works

DARJEELING: For the upcoming civic polls in Siliguri, Trinamool Congress candidates are banking on the development works undertaken by the Mamata Banerjee government as the poll plank.

"Siliguri wants Didi's representatives" is the catchline for the Trinamool Congress party for Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) election this time. TMC will be fighting elections, keeping party supremo Mamata Banerjee in the fore.

Incidentally, 47 wards of the SMC will be going to polls on January 22. "In all 47 wards, it is Didi (Mamata Banerjee), who is the TMC candidate," stated Papiya Ghosh, president, Darjeeling district TMC committee. TMC leaders stressed on the all-round development that a TMC board backed by the state government could bring about if voted to power.

"After Kolkata, Siliguri is the most important town in West Bengal. It is the gateway to the North East. Infrastructure development is the key requirement for the lakhs of tourists and persons passing through this town along with the local residents. Only with coordination and cooperation of the state government can this be achieved. A TMC board will definitely have the due advantage to enable this," stated Gautam Deb, former tourism minister and Chairman, Board of Administrators (BOA,) SMC.

He stated that in the 9 months of functioning of the BOA, a lot of development projects had been initiated. "We will give stress on new roads, safe drinking water supply from Gajoldoba having a capacity of 135 million litres daily; underground sewage, drainage and cabling; parking lots; community toilets and handing out land documents to the landless (pattas)," added Deb.

Beautification of the banks and rejuvenation of the Mahananda, Jorapani, Fuleshwari, Panchnoi rivers was on the anvil along with 34 parks and islands.

In another development, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has extended support to the TMC candidates in all 47 wards of the SMC.