The housing scheme already exists in rural areas like Malidhura, 15km from Darjeeling. It is going to be launched in the town for the first time. (Suman Tamang)

Darjeeling, Dec. 3: The three hill municipalities of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong have decided to go ahead with the Rs 42.9 crore slum development project, claiming that non-utilisation of the funds meant for the scheme will result in the money being re-routed to CPM strongholds in the plains.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha controls the hill municipalities. The three civic chairpersons, who held a meeting in Darjeeling today to discuss the implementation of the schemes, later held a news conference to justify their decision.

“The Bengal government always leaves out the hills from schemes which are sponsored by the Centre. Detailed project reports for such schemes are prepared in Calcutta. The state government tries to show that the hill municipalities are not interested and the funds are invariably routed to the plains,” said Pemba Tshering Ola, the chairman of the Darjeeling Municipality.

The Morcha, however, has stopped the DGHC from carrying out any development work in the hills, as the party fears that it would divert the people’s attention from the Gorkhaland cause. On November 28, around 150 Morcha people gheraoed the municipality office in Kurseong on the same ground and snatched an assurance from the chairman that all development work would be stopped for the time being.

Explaining the recent stand of the civic bodies in this context, Norden Lama, the chairman of the Kalimpong Municipality, said: “If we don't implement the schemes, they will go back to the CPM cadres in the plains and the people in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) will be left out.”

The scheme, which is part of the Integrated Housing for Slum Development Project, is centrally sponsored. The Union government provides 80 per cent of the money, the state 10 per cent and the beneficiary the remaining amount.

“The scheme is both for housing and infrastructure development. For housing, the beneficiary has to contribute the 10 per cent and if it is for infrastructure the municipality has to fund the remaining amount,” said Ola.

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 11.98 crore and Rs 11.96 crore for Kalimpong and Kurseong municipality respectively. Funds for Darjeeling, around Rs 18.96 crore, is currently being processed by the Union ministry of urban development. The number of beneficiaries identified in Kurseong stands at 565 while that for Darjeeling is 1,248. For Kalimpong, the figure is 567.

A house complete with the lavatory is expected to cost Rs 1.12 lakh. “In rural areas such housing schemes exists but this is the first time that the project is being envisaged for the urban people,” said Bijoy Sundas, the vice-chairman of the Kalimpong municipality.