‘We’ll be starting Panchayat Raj in the hills’: Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh signals major governance overhaul in North Bengal
The Statesman | 21 May 2026
West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday outlined the new government’s development roadmap for North Bengal, announcing plans to introduce the Panchayat Raj system in the hills while promising major improvements in regional infrastructure. The statement comes at a politically charged moment in the state, with the newly-formed Bharatiya Janata Party government seeking to position itself as focused on governance, regional development, and administrative reforms after ending the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule in West Bengal.
Dilip Ghosh said the government was prioritising long-pending issues in North Bengal and aimed to strengthen local governance mechanisms in the hill areas alongside infrastructure expansion.
“We are thinking about the development of North Bengal. We will be starting Panchayat Raj in the hills and improving infrastructure. We have to work on many things that the earlier government lacked,” Ghosh said.
Ghosh also criticised TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee over her meeting with party MLAs to announce statewide protests against the alleged “bulldozer culture” under the BJP government.
Launching a sharp political attack on the former Chief Minister, Ghosh said the meetings being organised now would have carried greater significance had similar efforts been made while the Trinamool Congress was still in power.
According to Ghosh, the previous administration failed to adequately respond to public grievances and neglected issues affecting ordinary people across the state.
“Earlier, the CM had no idea what was happening in Bengal. If the meetings that they are conducting now were conducted earlier and understood people’s suffering, the scenario would be something different,” he said while speaking to reporters.
The remarks come after the TMC announced protests across Kolkata and adjoining areas on May 21 against alleged forceful evictions of hawkers and a growing “bulldozer culture” in the state. According to the party, demonstrations are scheduled to be held near Howrah Station, Sealdah Station and Ballygunge, with party workers and leaders expected to participate in large numbers. The protests were announced after Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP government of targeting hawkers and minority communities following the recent Assembly election outcome.