The Suvendu Adhikari government of the state gave due importance to Siliguri, the largest urban hub in north Bengal and the gateway to northeast India, in its maiden budget on Monday, announcing an allocation of ₹200 crore to develop the city and its suburbs into a logistics and trade hub.

“Siliguri occupies a unique strategic position serving as the gateway to northeast India and providing vital connectivity with neighbouring countries such as Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Leveraging this geographical advantage, the government will promote Siliguri as a logistics and trade hub,” said state finance minister Swapan Dasgupta while tabling the budget in the Assembly on Monday.

This would be done through the development of integrated logistic parks, multi-modal transport infrastructure, modern warehousing facilities, cold-chain networks, and improved road, rail and air connectivity, he said.

“This will reduce logistic costs, enhance supply chain efficiency and facilitate domestic and international trade. I propose an allocation of ₹200 crore for this purpose,” Dasgupta said.

Such an announcement for Siliguri — the only city in Bengal for which a separate allocation was made for the budget — follows the Narendra Modi government’s plan to fortify the Siliguri corridor, also known as “Chicken’s Neck” for being the slimmest part of the Indian sub-continent. It connects the entire northeast with the rest of the country, with Nepal and Bangladesh in the north and south, with Bhutan and China borders nearby.

Dasgupta also announced the allocation of ₹26 crore for IT infrastructure in the city.

“Considering the recent development of IT infrastructure in Siliguri, it is proposed to develop Siliguri IT park with approximately 50,000 square feet of build-up space within the existing campus at an estimated cost of ₹26 crore,” he said.

The state allocated ₹1,821.52 crore for the development of north Bengal, almost double of ₹920.13 crore that the erstwhile Trinamool government had allotted in its vote-on-account in February this year.

Dasgupta repeated what his party had said in the election manifesto, that is, setting up an IIM, IIT, an AIIMS and a cancer hospital in north Bengal.

“The commitments reflect the very priorities that CII north Bengal had placed before the government,” said Satish Mitruka, chairman of the CII north Bengal zonal council.

Dasgupta made a slew of other announcements for north Bengal. The Telegraph mentions some key ones here.

Air connectivity

Airports would be set up in Balurghat and Malda, and the existing airport at Cooch Behar would be expanded. A sum of ₹10 crore has been allotted for these projects.

Twenty-five acres would be handed over to the Air Force Station Hasimara in Alipurduar to expand infrastructure for starting commercial flight services.

Metro proposal

The state will conduct a techno-economic feasibility study for Metro railway lines along the Siliguri-Jalpaiguri and Durgapur-Asansol routes.

Sports facilities

An international-standard stadium and an indoor stadium would come up in north Bengal, for which ₹20 crore has been allocated.

Spring revival

To rejuvenate springs (jhora) in Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, ₹50 crore has been allocated through upper catchment treatment, afforestation and spring shed management. This will augment drinking water in the hills.

Horticulture, spices

A sum of ₹50 crore has been allocated to encourage poly-house-based cultivation of fruits and orchids in the hills. A similar sum has been allotted for a spice hub in north Bengal.

Rajbanshi boost

To promote the Rajbanshi language, the Rajbanshi Academy and folk artistes of the community, the state has allocated ₹50 crore.