Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday assured the people Darjeeling Hills that the BJP is keen for a permanent political solution for the GTA, and promised that once the double engine government was voted to power in Bengal a Rs 600 crore drinking water project to be taken up for the hills and minimum wages for the tea workers to he raised Rs 350 a day.
Addressing electioneering at Lebong Race Course Mr Shah also assured that no Gorkha or Nepali to be evicted from this region as they have the right to stay as much as he has the right to live in India.
Listing a series of development schemes to be taken up immediately in the hills after the ” Double Engine” government was voted to power in Bengal under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Shah besides taking up of Rs 600 crore drinking water project and minimum wages for tea workers to be raised to Rs 350 a day, a medicinal hub ( park) to be set up with much emphasis onto rejuvenation of the existing cinchona plantation on the hills.
The Union minister also said that if the BJP government was to convert the Darjeeling municipality into a corporation.
Attention to be given to reorganise the world-class educational hub as students from overseas, including Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh come to study in Darjeeling hills and setting up of a central university in the gateway of North Bengal, Mr Shah said.
Amit Shah alleged TMC chief Mamata Banerjee was only interested in making her nephew to be chief minister and deprived the people of having fruits of development for ten years. He also ruled out any possibility to implement the NRC.
“The TMC government is lying about the possible fallout of NRC on the Gorkhas/Nepali in order to create fear among them,” Amit Shah reiterated.
He said under the leadership of Narendra Modi, “No Gorkha or Nepali to be evicted from their land as they are frontline soldiers guarding the Indian borders.”
Mr Shah said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will have no impact on the Gorkhas/Nepali in the hills.
“As long as the Narendra Modi-led BJP government is there at the Centre, no Gorkha will be harmed. NRC has not yet been implemented, but whenever it is done, not a single Gorkha will be asked to leave,” Mr Shah clarified amid cheers from the listeners.
Amit Shah alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government has also been responsible for the death of many Gorkhas in recent times for her divisive policy.
He called upon the Gorkha to remain united saying the BJP has a natural alliance with the Gorkhas in the hills. He also appealed to the voters to elect all three BJP candidates from this hills and consolidate the organisation.
