Now, Hill Muslims Demand Development Board
The Paharia Muslim Welfare Society on Thursday demanded a separate development board named the ‘Paharia Muslim Development Board.’
Members of the society on Thursday submitted a memorandum to chief minister Mamata Banerjee here as she headed for Darjeeling from Siliguri.
The CM halted for a brief while at the Kurseong Tourist Lodge and again proceeded towards Darjeeling, it is learnt.
Talking to reporters, a representative of the Paharia Muslim Welfare Society, Kurseong, Arif Khan, said they had submitted memorandums to officials concerned over various issues related to the Muslim community in the hills earlier too. “Keeping in mind the various problems faced by the Muslim community in Darjeeling Hills, we have been demanding a separate development board for the all round development of the hill Muslim community,” Khan said.
He claimed that the Paharia Muslim community is a community of people “who look like tribals, while they have short height, chinky eyes and are socially and economically backward.” He added that most of the people belonging to this community are landless, jobless, homeless labourers and butchers. According to Khan, the community has been living in Darjeeling hills for more than 200 years, but most of them are still landless.
“As such, we have demanded a separate development board for the all-round development of the hill Muslim community, for which, even the Muslim community from the Terai and the Dooars areas have supported us,” he said.
In the memorandum the community has also demanded residential plots of land to landless Paharia Muslims, incorporating the Paharia Muslims in the OBC ‘category A’, establishment of a government Madrasa affiliated to the ICSE Board in the Darjeeling hills, recruitment of civic police, home guards from their community, relaxation in height for recruitment in West Bengal/ Kolkata Police, equality in Gitanjali and EWS schemes, construction of toilets under the Swach Bharat Abhiyan for needy Muslim people and reservation in medical colleges.
It may be mentioned that despite opposition from the ruling Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha in Darjeeling, the state government has formed development boards for several hill communities like the Lepchas,Tamangs, Sherpas, Bhutias and Mangars.
[Via: SNS]
Mamata Says Rs 131 Crores Allocated So Far to Five Development Boards in Darjeeling
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday said development boards for the Limbu and Khambu-Rai community would be formed soon and also laid the foundation for 10 new projects in a programme in Darjeeling. After announcing boards for the Lepcha, Sherpa, Tamang, Bhutia and Mangar communities last year, the chief minister had said no more boards would be formed. But today, the CM in a programme of the Sherpa Development Board and the Himal Terai Dooars Sports Festival at North Point School ground, she announced of considering forming more boards.
“We will form boards for the Limbu and Khambu-Rai communities soon as they have requested. I have also received requests from some minority groups which will be considered later,” Banerjee said.
Apparently, the chief minister expressed satisfaction with the work being done by the Lepcha, Sherpa, Tamang and Bhutia boards. “The Lepcha board has done good work for its people. I want other communities develop to too. I have given funds for various works to be undertaken,” Banerjee said. The chief minister handed over a cheque of Rs 5 crore to the Mangar Board and Rs 3.75 crore and Rs 1.15 crore respectively to the Tamang Board. The
Lepcha and Sherpa boards were handed Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 5 crore, respectively.
“Till now I have provided Rs 131 crores to the five development boards in the hills for various works like housing projects and keeping Darjeeling clean and green. They have worked properly and I hope they will do better,” she said. Banerjee yesterday also inaugurated 25 home stays at Takdah, eight cottages at Morgan House Tourist Lodge and a Madrasa Education Community Hall in Kalimpong. She also laid the foundation stone for the construction of a library cum reading room at five places at Mirik Block, 11 home stays project at Tinchuley, construction of an OPD building at Sukhaypokhri block, drinking water supply project at Mirik block, Maney Bhanjyang and Sandakhpu and repair work of Mela ground in Kalimpong.
“Of the sporting activities that was there held in the Himal Terrai Dooars Sports Festival including tae-kwondo, marathon, football and archery, about 412 clubs had participated and each club will receive Rs25,000 and Rs1,500 to each individual participant along with a jersey. I had promised last year that I would try and help the Sherpa community and today I gave 10 of them Rs1 lakh each,”
Banerjee announced. This apart, the chief minister also announced Rs 2.5 crore for the Lepcha Youth Hostel that will come up in Kalimpong, Rs 1 crore each to Victoria and Dowhill School at Kurseong, Rs 30 crore for the 100 days work and Rs 11 crore for the Solid Waste management programme among the vast development initiatives taken up by the state government in the hills.
[Via: EOIC, File pic]
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