Chief minister Mamata Banerjee focused on tea and tourism, the two principal sectors that create jobs in north Bengal, and asked state government officials as well as private entrepreneurs to take initiatives to boost both sectors.

Mamata, who attended the North Bengal Business Meet at Dinabandhu Mancha here on Monday, highlighted the need to create alternative tourist destinations in the region, especially in the Darjeeling hills.

“Darjeeling (town) has become too congested…. We should explore places to develop a new Darjeeling. The administration, the GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) and private investors should take the initiative to find such locations to boost tourism in this region,” she said.

Interacting with hoteliers and representatives of trade bodies, Mamata asked them to come up with more accommodations in the Dooars region.

“The footfall of tourists is on the rise in the Dooars. You should come up with new accommodations to accommodate more tourists. The surge in the inflow of tourists has also created potential for the transport sector. You can introduce more vehicles, which will also create some employment,” Mamata said.

As chief minister, Mamata has consistently focussed on tourism. During the past 14 years of her government in power, many new tourism destinations, hotels, homestays and private resorts have come up in north Bengal. “A number of prominent hotel groups are coming to north Bengal,” she said on Monday.

Speaking on the tea industry, Mamata underlined that the tea tourism policy adopted by the state would not pose any problem for tea workers.

The north Bengal tea belt, especially the hills, had erupted in protests over the tea tourism policy, especially with regard to the non-tea use of fallow tea garden land, which they felt would threaten the livelihood of thousands of tea workers.

“Our policy will not affect tea workers. We will ensure it. We want unused land in tea estates to be used for tourism. If hotels come up on such plots, locals will have new employment opportunities. A section of people had voiced their protests and wanted to create deterrents,” she said.

Rudra Chatterjee, the managing director of Luxmi Tea which owns the famous Makaibari tea estate, insisted on an aggressive branding of Darjeeling Tea.

“We should start branding Darjeeling Tea itself from Darjeeling. We are ready to extend help to other tea estates for the promotion of tea. Also, we should focus on the production of quality teas. With quality, we can always beat other teas,” said Chatterjee.

Mamata asked him to hold talks with tea planters. “We are also aware that teas from a neighbouring country are imported and sold as Darjeeling Tea. We have taken some initiatives and will set up labs to check the practice,” she said.

Bijoygopal Chakraborty, the president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations, sought irrigation and insurance schemes for small tea plantations, which are otherwise provided to farmers in the state.

“The state government will look into the proposal,” said Mamata.