GTA chief inaugurates Rangbull Bridge

DARJEELING,: A 61-meter steel bridge over the Rangbull River was on Tuesday inaugurated at Rungmook-Dhoteria along with the 5.1 km road stretch from Miling tea garden to Rungmook factory.

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief executive Anit Thapa, who inaugurated the two projects, gave emphasis on working with the State government as the GTA was formed under the State act.

“After we won the GTA election we started work on the most important things for this area. One of them was the road condition of the Rangbull road which was repaired along with bringing connectivity to places much below it. There was a need for much development in this area and we will continue to move forward according to the demand of the people here,” said Thapa.

The GTA chief executive informed that the new bridge will connect the villages around Rangbull-Dhoteria to villages in Rungmook-Cedar and Sonada. The people of this area to reach Sonada had to go a longer route but now after this bridge is made the distance between the two valleys have become less, he added.

He maintained that with connectivity now coming to the area the villagers could promote rural tourism there.

“There were a lot of problems for the people here regarding connectivity and the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) had started out with a clear vision and we will remain so. We wanted peace and development in the Hills for which our party was established,” Thapa said while adding that they did not want confrontation with anyone.

We will work together with the State government which was our stand in the past also and will remain in the future too, said Thapa who is also the BGPM president.

He maintained that elections come and goes with them winning and losing many times in the past but that had not stopped them from working and will not stop them now.

Thapa also spoke on the different works done by their party after they came to power in the Hills including the panchayat polls being held after many years.