Suvendu announces Rs 254-cr disaster fund for Hills, new med college in Kalimpong
Times of India | 9 September 2026Addressing a virtual conference from north Bengal branch secretariat at Uttarkanya in Siliguri, Adhikari said the recent disasters underscored the need for greater preparedness and precaution, particularly in the hill districts and Teesta basin.
The CM also announced setting up of a new medical college in Kalimpong. “I will visit Kalimpong and lay its foundation stone,” he said.
“I am sanctioning Rs 254 crore to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) for disaster management to tackle flood and landslide situations in the Hills, including the recent landslide in Mirik,” he said. As part of the package, specialised rescue teams, including Arjun Bahini, will be deployed in Teesta basin.
The CM said now that GTA was placed under administrative control with GTA principal secretary Smritiranjan Mohanty as administrator, development in Darjeeling should continue while efforts towards a PPS were pursued. “Union home minister Amit Shah had come and held discussions with stakeholders concerning Darjeeling Hills. GTA should work for people in the Hills,” he added.
Adhikari announced assistance for 73 families affected by Teesta floods, saying each family would receive Rs 3 lakh for house construction.
Adhikari could not be physically present in Kalimpong on Tuesday due to bad weather and had to make a U-turn to Siliguri. He said he would visit Darjeeling on Oct 6 for a meeting with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and visit Kalimpong on his way back. The CM said he would visit north Bengal, including Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri, on Rhino Day, Sept 22.
State govt will construct 8,325 new houses in Kalimpong under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, covering landless people as well as those who have land but do not have a house, the CM said. On the tea sector, Adhikari expressed concern over the condition of closed and sick tea gardens in the Hills and Terai and said Pradhan Mantri Tea Shramik Yojana 2021 would be introduced on the Assam model. “The state has earmarked Rs 320 crore for tea garden infrastructure,” he added.
Adhikari said 2.18 lakh residents of Kalimpong would receive Ayushman Bharat health cards, adding that govt will also recruit 1,000 police personnel in the Hills, including 300 posts reserved for women.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista raised the issue of people whose names have been excluded from the electoral rolls during SIR. The CM directed the district magistrate to accept Form 6 applications from those affected and resolve the matter within three months.
The meeting also featured a virtual felicitation of Padma Shri awardees, eminent educationists and freedom fighters from Kalimpong.
(With inputs from Nisha Chettri in Kalimpong)
Govt announces 20% Puja bonus for tea workers
Pinak Priya Bhattacharya
State govt has announced a 20% Puja bonus for tea workers across the tea belts of Bengal, including Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling Hills. There are 303 tea gardens in Bengal, which have a combined workforce of around 3,00,000 people. TMC govt had similarly announced a 20% Puja bonus last year, though many gardens are yet to clear that money to their workers.
