Deteriorating Handloom Development office await its own development

MUKESH SHARMA; Kalimpong, August 30: The head office of the Hastshilp Bikash/ Handloom Development is situated at Ringking Pong Road, Kalimpong under the Darjeeling district. The office right now is in a degrading condition crying for dire need of attention. The GTA councilor, Phubi Rai under whose jurisdiction comes, the said office visited the location.

 He, after inspecting the office met with the staffs. Realizing the deteriorating condition of the building, Rai said that though, it being the head office is not being maintained properly. He pointed out the so called intellects of the area for its worse condition. The small scale projects should be carried out properly and the local youths should be encouraged towards employment through it, he stressed. Through the development of minute things the GTA shall eventually achieve greater heights, he said.

 “We have many chances of reforming our economic condition which we have been overlooking,” he added. Development should happen, keeping in mind the future of the coming generations, told Rai. Rai also addressed the issues of the employees of the said office which were put forward by the office cashier, Lalit Kumar Chettri.

 Notifying about the condition of the building Chettri said that the building needs to reconstructed at the soonest. He also informed that during the time of DGHC the office was run at a rented place at Pratiman Road. But it was shifted to the present place (which used to be one of the offices of sericulture) in 1993 after the office rent was not paid at the earlier place. Hence, Chettri on behalf of the department insisted that the present office which belongs to sericulture to be given to Hastshilp Bikash.

 They also demanded the clearance of the weeds and which has covered the way to the office. The demand for filling up the vacant posts in the said department was also placed. They also asserted that more office branches should be opened at different places. It was also notified that since 1993 the DGHC had stopped providing funds for the said department.