West Bengal Chief Minister carved a new district of Kalimpong out of Darjeeling, on Tuesday.
Announcing a slew of development projects for the newly created district at a colourful ceremony, Banerjee said "a Rs 220 crore road link project will be taken up to connect Kalimpong with Sikkim via the old Silk Route."
She also announced a Rs 50 crore water supply project by the public health engineering department will be taken up soon to address Kalimpong's water scarcity problem.
Darjeeling Hills has been witness to violent statehood movements since 1986 under the leadership of Subhas Ghising and after a few years' thaw, again under Bimal Gurung, the present chief executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, in a bid to break away from West Bengal.
While referring to the burning down of forest and other government bungalows at Tagdah, Kalimpong and some other places in the Hills, Mamata Banerjee said:
I urge all people in the Hills to live peacefully and not pay heed to any attempt of igniting violence. We have rebuild the Tagdah bungalow and others. We will ensure all-round development of the Hills. Lepchas, Gurungs, Bhutias and all others are living together, we want you to light up diyas (lamps) of peace.
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