Title: Need for all round development of North Bengal.
SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI (RAIGANJ): Sir, the industrial growth in entire North Bengal is almost nil and since 5th Five Year Plan could not stabilise the basic industrial infrastructure in North Bengal, including the Agricultural Marketing Network, the unemployment is on the rise there, excepting the job of primary teachers in a limited fashion and small trading in the village mandi.
Hardly there is anything for the young unemployed to survive. Educated unemployed youth, the uneducated people and working youth are rushing to North India for any kind of work for their survival. Due to import of tea from Sri Lanka, the tea industry of North Bengal is also at a stage of decline and banking industry is not responding to their practical needs. Jute growers are crying for not having any remunerative price. Flood management programme is also negligible.
Chuka Hydel Power from Bhutan is being transmitted over North Bengal keeping North Bengal villages unelectrified. Tista canal project completion target is not yet known. I, therefore, demand that a White Paper from Planning Commission should be released immediately to identify the shortcomings and economic imbalances. Raj Banshi Scheduled Caste community, and their aspiration to flourish their language to preserve their socio-cultural identity should be given more support by Ministry of HRD in entire North Bengal. Scheduled Tribe population also are deprived in tribal sub plan programme for lack of resources in North Bengal. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council should also get the plan assistance from the Centre directly without being processed through State Government.
(ends)
