GTA wants Hills to become IT hub, govt assures help

Kolkata, Thu Aug 23 2012, 01:56 hrs The seven-member delegation of Gorkha Territorial Administration led by its Chief Executive Bimal Gurung on Wednesday met Commerce and Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee and pitched for making Darjeeling an IT hub. 

 During the meeting, which took place in Kolkata, the GTA officials told the government that they want to set up industries in the hills in order to bring all round development of the region. “Considering the topography of the area, we can have tea, tourism and IT industry in the Hills.

 Since we already have tea and tourism industry, we want the government to assist us in setting up an IT hub in the area,” said GTA Executive Member and GJM general secretary Roshan Giri. Chatterjee said the state government was ready to set up an IT hub in Darjeeling hills.

 “We have told the District Magistrate of Darjeeling and the GTA members to identify the land where the IT hub could be set up,” Chatterjee told The Indian Express.

 “Since Kalimpong and Kurseong are educational hubs, and Darjeeling town is a tourist spot, we want the IT hub to be set up near the educational hubs so that it will promote the business as well as will generate employment,” added Chatterjee. 

 The GTA has agreed to identify the land for setting up the IT hub soon. The GTA delegation also requested the minister to release the arrears of tea workers of the five tea gardens run by the state government. According to a senior government official, the estimated arrear of the tea labouers is around Rs 1 crore.

 “We told them that we would look into the matter. We have taken several steps for the tea workers. We have passed a proposal of forming a standing committee on tea workers. We have also decided to construct homes for them in the tea gardens and we would also see that they get rice at a lower price,” added Chatterjee.
 Sources said that Chatterjee cited the financial crisis faced by the government to defend his inability to pay the arrears at present.