CM Adhikari to visit Siliguri today

PRASHANT ACHARYA

SILIGURI,: Siliguri is all set to welcome Suvendu Adhikari for his first official visit to North Bengal on Wednesday after recently taking oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Extensive security arrangements and beautification works are underway at Uttarkanya and adjoining areas, including routes from the airport, ahead of his visit.

The visit on May 20 is being viewed as significant in the backdrop of recent developments in the region, including possible demolition drives against alleged illegal constructions linked to some Trinamool Congress leaders. The development comes days after Darjeeling MP Raju Bista reportedly arranged for over two dozen JCB machines from Uttar Pradesh.

Although Adhikari’s visit will be brief and he is expected to return to Kolkata the same day, the high-level administrative meeting scheduled at Uttarkanya in the afternoon is expected to witness important decisions.

The Chief Minister’s visit will focus on administrative updates and development reviews. He is also scheduled to visit the BJP party office in Siliguri, where he will meet party leaders and workers before proceeding to Uttarkanya for the review meeting.

Coinciding with the visit, the Adhikari-led BJP government in West Bengal has reportedly initiated a strategic move to transfer around 120 acre land in the strategically important “Chicken Neck” corridor to the Centre to strengthen national security and border management.

Ahead of the Chief Minister’s arrival, Minister for North Bengal Development and Sports & Youth Affairs Nisith Pramanik had reached Uttarkanya on Saturday.

Pramanik held a meeting with officials of the North Bengal Development Department (NBDD), which was formed during the tenure of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2011.

“Certain anomalies in projects undertaken by the NBDD during the previous government’s tenure have come to our notice. We will examine all necessary files and conduct a comprehensive probe. Any contractor found involved in corruption will be blacklisted,” Pramanik said after the meeting.