‘We want a change in system, not just colour of ruling party’s flag’: CM Adhikari in North Bengal

He claimed the government would eradicate what he called “syndicates”, “a cut money culture” and “mafia raj” (gang rule) from the state, adding there would no longer be any “anti-national activity” in West Bengal.

Speaking at the BJP office in north Bengal, Adhikari claimed people have already started receiving the benefits the BJP promised in its ‘sankalpa patra’ (election manifesto).

Adhikari arrived at Bagdogra Airport from where he headed to the Uttar Kanya NBDD office to attend an administrative meeting. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, senior BJP leaders, and a number of party workers and supporters gathered at the airport to welcome the new chief minister.

The Chief Minister announced that Nisith Pramanik, Minister of North Bengal Development Department (NBDD), would hold an administrative office at Uttar Kanya once a week.

“Our ministers will hold a ‘Janata Darshan’ once a week… Coordinating with the administration, they will review ongoing projects and, through regular meetings, work towards the implementation of every scheme across the entire north Bengal region,” Adhikari said.

Key projects in north Bengal

Speaking at the BJP party office, Adhikari said the government will fulfil the promises of setting up of a new AIIMS, an IIT and an IIM in north Bengal, as promised in the party manifesto, apart from ordering steps for qualitative development of the lives of tea garden workers in the region.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista told PTI after the administrative meeting: “Apart from the AIIMS, an IIT, an IIM and a cancer hospital will also be set up in north Bengal.” These institutes will come up in different districts of the region.

“The CM asked the Tea Board chairman and other officials to study the Assam tea garden worker welfare model and asked them to come up with pointers on what would be the issues involved in implementing the same here,” Bista told PTI. He said that with more than five lakh directly employed people and 20 lakh indirect beneficiaries of the tea gardens dotting the northern districts of the state, the chief minister stressed the betterment of the condition of tea garden workers.

Besides, the government has also decided to introduce the ‘Annapurna Yojana’, doubling the monetary assistance to women from Rs 1,500 in former CM Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme to Rs 3,000 per month. It also announced free travel for women in government buses in the state.

– With PTI Input