Bengal to get Rs 200 crore from 15th Finance Commission for Darjeeling, Kalimpong development

The development of rural roads, rural livelihood mission, and sanitation in Darjeeling and Kalimpong are among the projects for which the Bengal government anticipates receiving approximately Rs 200 crore under the 15th Finance Commission in the near future.

The cash, according to officials, would greatly improve the rural infrastructure in the highlands, where it has been impossible for years to work on roads and sanitization.

According to a top bureaucrat, Delhi withheld funding allocated by the 15th Finance Commission since elections for the two tiers of the panchayat system had not taken place since 2000. But this year, elections were held in rural areas.

Recently, the Center released Rs 83 crore that had been set aside for the GTA region since 2021–2022. It was taken out of an unrelated fund. The GTA may use the funds in accordance with the needs of the surrounding communities.

"However, the upcoming new funds are connected funds. According to a senior state government official, a total of Rs 160 crore is anticipated to be given for rural roads, Rs 35 crore under the Anandadhara (rural livelihood mission), and Rs 25 crore for sanitation initiatives in rural Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

The panchayat department is preparing to spend the money in the best possible way. On Thursday, a two-day training course for newly elected members of Darjeeling's and Kalimpong's panchayats' two tiers, the gram panchayat and panchayat samitis, got underway.

The administration of rural bodies, planning, fund management, sanitation, rural housing, rural roads, and issues relating to the 15th Finance Commission are among the topics that the elected members are being taught in, according to a source.

Prior to the funding reaching the rural bodies, a senior bureaucrat said that such a training program for the elected members was necessary because the latter had not operated since 2005, when their terms had expired and no new elections had been place.

Most importantly, the state administration wants to make sure that no allegations of financial misappropriation are made against the rural organizations in the hills.

Due to alleged financial irregularities, Bengal is already suffering the most from the central government's decision to restrict funding for the 100-day work program, rural roads, and rural homes.

"The state does not want a situation like the one in the hills to occur again since the region needs money for development. For years, the area had neglected to develop. The state is keen to improve the situation, according to a representative.

Anit Thapa, the CEO of GTA, expressed her gratitude for the funding and mentioned them as yet another advantage of putting the panchayat system into place this year rather than in 2005.

"We applaud the choice. We were unable to receive these monies for development since there were no elected panchayats. We appreciate the state administration raising this with the federal government, Thapa added.

According to sources, the GTA has lost close to Rs 400 crore in the last few years as a result of the nearly twenty-year absence of elected panchayats.

Vivek Chhetri has more to say from Darjeeling