Shantanu Thakur, a junior minister at the Centre, underscored the Narendra Modi government’s initiatives to bolster security and surveillance in the strategic Siliguri corridor and simultaneously pushed the Prime Minister’s narrative that the Trinamool Congress dispensation resorted to non-cooperation, which in turn, was hampering development in north Bengal.

Thakur addressed the media at the BJP office in Siliguri on Wednesday to highlight the Modi government’s achievements in the past 11 years.

“The central government is giving special importance to the chicken’s neck region as it is an important area of our country. While on one hand, advanced artillery defence systems have been installed in the area, the electronic surveillance has been intensified through the use of drones,” said Thakur, who is the Union minister of state for ports, shipping and waterways.

“In the coming days, more steps will be taken to fortify the region through the installation of more advanced defence technology and equipment,” he added.

The Siliguri corridor, often referred to as the Chicken’s Neck, is the slimmest part of the Indian sub-continent as it connects the entire northeast with the rest of the country.

The downfall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh in August last year, which led to a decline in the bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh, coupled with the recent overtures of China that recently named some regions of Arunachal Pradesh, have put the Centre and the defence forces on alert.

“The Siliguri corridor has Nepal and Bangladesh in the north and south, with Bhutan and China borders located at a distance of around 200km. The recent incidents prompted the central government to beef up security and vigilance across the region, especially at the borders, to thwart any attempt to destabilise the area,” said a retired army officer based in Siliguri.

In recent times, the region has witnessed multiple exercises by the armed forces. Such exercises were conducted in different locations, ranging from the mountain terrains to the rivers and the foothills, to confirm preparedness and the integrated approach of the forces.

“The junior minister has further endorsed the steps which the Centre has taken for the security of this strategic region,” he added.

While speaking at the news conference, Thakur was critical of the Mamata Banerjee government of the state for impeding development in north Bengal.

“The state government is not cooperating with the Centre. Due to such non-cooperation, developmental works are getting affected in the region,” Thakur, who is also the MP of Bangaon, said.

His assertion hints that the saffron camp intends to push the narrative set by the Prime Minister last month, keeping in mind that TMC often plays the development card to revive its support in north Bengal.

On May 29, while addressing a public meeting in Alipurduar, Narendra Modi had spoken on similar lines.

MLA’s letter

Shankar Ghosh, the BJP MLA of Siliguri, sent letters to the state municipal affairs and urban development minister, Firhad Hakim and the state education minister, Bratya Basu, on Tuesday.

In his letter to Hakim, Ghosh has mentioned that residents of at least seven wards in Siliguri are facing the perennial problem of waterlogging during the monsoon months. The state should take steps to improve the sewage system in these areas, he has mentioned.

In the other letter, Ghosh, who is also the party’s chief whip in the Assembly, has sought more Hindi medium primary and higher secondary schools. “The Hindi-speaking population is increasing in the city. Such schools will reduce the number of dropouts and will provide access to quality education to economically weaker students,” he said.