June 7, 2014
WB Government to form a separate Finance Directorate for North Bengal
The State government would set up a newfinance directorate in North Bengal, said Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee.
“This is a major initiative for the peoplein North Bengal who have to come to Kolkata for different work. Now issues likepension and recruitment of teachers will be addressed from the directorate,”Ms. Banerjee told journalists after an administrative meeting at Mongpong inDarjeeling district.
The establishment of a finance directorateis the second major administrative step after the Trinamool Congress governmentdecided to set up Uttarkanya – a branch secretariat dedicated to North Bengalin January this year.
The Chief Minister, who over the past fewdays have been in North Bengal, said she had visited various sites fordevelopment of tourism in the region. She claimed the reports that forestsafari has been shut in North Bengal were false.
“This is a deliberate attempt to malignus… You can check records to know the facts,” Ms. Banerjee said.
She said that along with developing sitesin Buxa Tiger Reserve, Mongpong, and at Jaldhaka where the infrastructure wasdestroyed during the movement for separate Statehood, various important tourismsites had been located.
On ensuring greater connectivity to theregion, Ms. Banerjee said additional flights to Bagdogra would start duringDurga Puja, but she wanted more flights should fly between Kolkata and Bagdografor the entire year. “We are giving a lot of advantages (to airlines) and haveeven waived taxes on aviation fuel,” she said. The Chief Minister said thatadditional Rs. 30 crore had been allocated for development of an airport inCooch Behar district.
