BJP MLAs from north Bengal, led by Shankar Ghosh, the MLA of Siliguri, on Thursday met Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister of road transport and highways.
The BJP MLAs from north Bengal also met Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Union minister of culture and tourism, and submitted some proposals to him.
During the meeting, the MLAs urged Gadkari to take necessary steps for the improvement of road infrastructure in north Bengal.
“We requested him to expedite the work of two major road projects, the alternative bridge over the Teesta near Sevoke which will connect the Dooars, and the proposed ring road in Siliguri that can resolve the problem of traffic congestion in and around the city,” Ghosh said over the phone from Delhi.
The delegation also thanked Gadkari and his government for taking up a slew of other road projects in north Bengal.
Indra Hang Subba, the sole Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim, separately met Gadkari on Thursday. Subba requested the minister for an alternative road to connect two important stretches of the mountain state and Bengal —Melli to Singtam and Singtam to Sevoke, parallel to NH10.
Considered the lifeline for Sikkim and Kalimpong, NH10 is prone to landslides and cave-ins, particularly during monsoon. Such incidents often halt traffic movement along the highway. In recent years, the demand for an alternative road has been raised time and again from various quarters.
“I have requested the minister for his approval for an alternative national highway from Melli to Singtam and Singtam to Sevoke. It would be parallel to NH10 on the other side of the hills and will be an all-weather road where we don’t have to face disruptions in connectivity due to landslides or similar incidents,” said Subba.
The Sikkim MP also thanked Gadkari for transferring the maintenance of NH-10 to NHIDCL from the NH division of the Bengal PWD.
On meeting Union minister Shekhawat, MLA Ghosh said that north Bengal relies on the tourism industry as a major sector of employment.
“Some initiatives are required for the growth of this sector, and those associated with it should get benefits like other industrial sectors of the state,” said Ghosh. “We urged the minister to take up these issues with the state so that stakeholders get benefits like subsidised electricity tariff, exemption of electricity duty and a rebate on water supply bills, licence fee, and some other taxes.”
Since Tuesday, a delegation of around 10 BJP MLAs has been camping in Delhi to meet Union ministers in charge of different ministries to seek their help and intervention on issues related to north Bengal.