Bengal urban development and municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul on Sunday said the Centre has proposed to develop five cities in the northern part of the state as Himalayan hill cities.
The five cities, identified for the proposed initiative, are Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik and Siliguri.
"Union minister Manohar Lal has proposed that these five cities will be developed as the Himalayan hill cities," Paul told reporters at Uttarkanya in north Bengal.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said the state government is looking forward to working closely with the Centre to ensure rapid development of the hills, Terai and Dooars regions.
"We welcome this major announcement for our region, and will work with the Centre and the state government to ensure fast development of our Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars region," he said.
Paul said the state government is committed to ensuring inclusive development across all regions of the state, and thanked the central minister for his "vision, mission and passion" for accelerating development activities.