'Mass movement to thwart bid to divide N Bengal'

KOLKATA: Alleging that the BJP was fanning secessionist forces — who are demanding creation of a separate Union Territory comprising 8 North Bengal districts —Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Partha Pratim Roy on Friday said his party would launch a mass movement to thwart any attempt to divide North Bengal. Trinamool will resist any attempt to fan secessionist forces, he said.

Underground Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) chief Jiban Singh published a video demanding North Bengal to be made a separate state. BJP MP John Barla made a similar demand on Friday.

Roy said BJP, unable to face defeat in the Assembly election, along with its IT cell created confusion among people of North Bengal soon after the Assembly election results were out on May 2. The BJP had deliberately made false statements about the development of North Bengal.

The demand for a Union Territory rests on an allegation that no proper development had taken place in North Bengal in the past one decade.

Demolishing those claims, Roy said even a child knew what kind of development had taken place in North Bengal. In the 2020-21 fiscal, Rs 776 crore was allocated for the North Bengal Development Department, which was set up in 2011.

The state government has set up Uttar Kanya — a Secretariat to monitor the development work.

Under the Cha Sundari scheme, houses will be made for tea garden workers.

For the scheme, a coffer of Rs 500 crore has been created and the work has started in over 200 acres.

This will benefit around 3 lakh tea garden workers of North Bengal.

The state government has given recognition to Kamtapuri, Rajbangshi and Kurmali languages.

In the past one decade, roads have been improved and bridges constructed as a part of the infrastructure development.

To boost tourism, a series of steps have been taken up.