CM to embark on a 4-day tour of Darj on Nov 11
Darjeeling: The stage is all set for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to the Darjeeling Hills. The Chief Minister will be arriving at Darjeeling town on November 11 evening and will be departing the Hill town on November 14. As per her official itinerary, the Chief Minister is scheduled to arrive at Darjeeling late in the evening on November 11.
On November 12, the Chief Minister will hold a meeting with GTA members and the chairman of Development Boards at 3:30 pm. The meeting is likely to take place at the Gorkha Rangmanch Bhawan at the Darjeeling Chowrasta.
On November 13, the Chief Minister will be inaugurating the Saras Mela at Darjeeling Chowrasta at 3 pm. On November 14, the Chief Minister will depart for Siliguri and then onwards to Kolkata either on November 14 or 15 morning.
On November 15, she will be attending a programme at the Adivasi Bhavan, Rajarhat, Kolkata to celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda and observance of Birsa Munda Dibas.
This programme will be celebrated in all the districts over 7 days from November 15 to November 21, 2024.
With the Chief Minister’s scheduled meeting, the district administration and police held a meeting to review the arrangements and security. Construction work is on at the Darjeeling Chowrasta where stalls and a makeshift stage is being built for the inauguration programme.
The Sale of Articles of Rural Artisan Society (SARAS) Melas provides a platform for rural artisans and Self Help Group (SHG) women to showcase, and sell their products and produce including handicrafts, handlooms, organic products and food.
The Chief Minister has been emphasising alternative livelihoods including SHGs for the economical empowerment of women, specially in the Hills. The SHGs have been running successfully in the Hills. Along with West Bengal, other states will also put up stalls.The meeting with the GTA representatives could revolve around the issues of a full-fledged transfer of powers and functions to the GTA; relief and rehabilitation of the Teesta flash flood affected; appointments to the GTA; minimum wages and land right documents for tea garden workers.The Chief
Minister will be in this region at the time of the crucial bypolls in the Madarihat Assembly Constituency in Alipurduar district and the Sitai Constituency of Cooch Behar on November 13.In Darjeeling the Chief Minister will be staying at the Richmond Hill Government Guest House, a stone’s throw distance from the Darjeeling Raj Bhawan compound.
The Chief Minister had last visited this region on September 29 when she chaired an administrative review meeting at the Uttar Kanya, the mini secretariat in Siliguri. However, she had last visited the Hills when her nephew, Abesh Banerjee tied the wedding knot in Kurseong in December 2023.
