Mamata Banerjee Reiterates Opposition to State Division in North Bengal, Promises Development Projects
Chief Minister Takes Aim at BJP and Touches Base with Various Communities During Jalpaiguri Visit
At a public service distribution program in Jalpaiguri's Banarhat on Monday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a strong statement about amity and development in north Bengal.
"There will be no division until I am alive, jab tak hum zinda hain, divide nahi hogi." Whatever happens, we won't allow our one family to break apart," Mamata remarked at Banarhat's Tarun Sangha ground.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, political analysts deemed her unwavering stance noteworthy, given the number of political parties and organizations in north Bengal that have been advocating for the creation of new states, including Gorkhaland and Kamtapur.
They claimed that by inflaming the feelings of some communities and subtly alluding to their demand for statehood, the BJP enjoyed electoral success in the 2019 Lok Sabha. Nonetheless, the chief minister and her Trinamul party have steadfastly opposed any additional division of Bengal.
She reiterated her stance this time. Given the strong sentiment against calls to split off new states from Bengal in many parts of the state, it will be interesting to see what approach the saffron camp takes this time. As an observer noted, "People in the hills and Rajbanshi-dominated belts, on the other hand, are angry with the BJP for not fulfilling their demands for statehood."
During her speech, Mamata also took a jab at the Centre, which is led by the BJP. "They are taking GST from us (Bengal) but have stopped funds due to Bengal for welfare schemes ranging from 100-days' work to rural housing and roads," she stated.
"I fulfill my commitments. However, the BJP offers flimsy assurances. They made empty promises to open five closed tea gardens ahead of the 2019 elections. They are now taking credit for the plan to supply drinking water. The chief minister stated, "Let us be clear: the state provides land and proportionate funds for the project."
She laid the groundwork for projects worth Rs 69 crore and inaugurated infrastructure projects worth Rs 110 crore in the Jalpaiguri district on Monday.
"We've announced Dhupguri as a new subdivision in keeping with our word. We intended to build a new fire station for Banarhat. To thunderous applause, Mamata added, "The primary health center here will also be upgraded into a 30-bed block hospital."
Mamata also extended her reach to several communities during her speech, providing further details on the actions done on their behalf. She mentioned that development boards for Rajbanshis and Nasya Sheikhs (Rajbanshi Muslims) had been established.
Roughly 200 schools are Rajbanshi-medium. These institutions have our recognition, and we plan to formally open them in Cooch Behar shortly. We are giving tea garden workers land rights. We are offering every kind of assistance, including financial support, to the tribal people. The chief minister promised to take action to speed up the process of giving them ST certificates.
A total of Rs 1,200 crore will be deposited into the bank accounts of farmers throughout Bengal on Tuesday, when she is scheduled to attend a comparable function at Kanchenjungha Stadium in Siliguri.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
