Chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced today that her government will introduce a new system to prevent the sale of other teas being falsely marketed as Darjeeling tea.

At the inauguration of the 7th SARAS Mela at Chowrasta in Darjeeling today, chief minister Mamata Banerjee voiced concern about the misuse of the Darjeeling tea brand, without explicitly naming Nepal tea. She noted that certain “other teas” are being marketed under the prestigious Darjeeling label, threatening its international reputation.

“We will introduce a new system to protect the reputation of Darjeeling tea,” the chief minister said. “This activity, which damages the image of the Darjeeling tea brand, must be stopped,” she added. Recalling her travels, she mentioned, “I was delighted to see Darjeeling tea appreciated in the USA and UK.

In addition to addressing the tea industry, Ms Banerjee highlighted her government’s ongoing efforts to develop infrastructure in the Hill region. She criticised the central government for not providing adequate funds for this purpose, asserting that they only approach the region during elections.

“They come only every five years, promising development and showcasing a long list of projects, but after winning, they do nothing for the next five years,” she stated. “We nominated former ADM Gopal Lama for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. But he couldn’t win because he doesn’t make false promises.”

Without directly naming Darjeeling’s current MP, Raju Bista, Ms Banerjee remarked, “The person who won has a lot of money and won the seat by distributing money. But he has not contributed to the needs of the Hills. He works one day in five years, while we work for the people 364 days.”

Ms Banerjee, who leads the Trinamul Congress, also confirmed her alliance with Anit Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and noted that this partnership would continue. “I want Anit Thapa, chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), to keep moving forward with his work,” she added.

Without naming her former ally Bimal Gurung, Ms Banerjee criticised political groups that stir up unrest before elections. “A group comes every five years, calling strikes, shutting down markets, and disrupting daily life. We won’t tolerate such oppression in the Hills. We want peace, and the Hills need peace for complete development. It feels good when Darjeeling is peaceful,” she said. “Your [Bimal’s] demand has been met—we have established a Hill university. The second campus of Presidency University at Dow Hill in Kurseong will also begin operating soon.”

CM directed her officials to expedite this project to ensure students can enrol as soon as possible.

She further announced that, in collaboration with the GTA and private partners, skill development centres would be established in the Hills. These centres will provide training, aiming to secure job placements for educated youth after three months.

During the distribution of state-sponsored schemes to beneficiaries, Ms Banerjee elaborated on her government’s investments in the region: “A total of 56 projects have been implemented across two districts at a cost of Rs 161 crore. We have laid the foundation for several more projects estimated to cost Rs 500 crore. Over the past 13 years, the state government has allocated Rs 11,000 crore for the Hills, including Rs 1,500 crore specifically for the GTA. The ongoing projects are estimated at Rs 4,000 crore, with Rs 1.64 crore allocated for North Bengal over 13 years.”

In a lighter moment this morning, chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Darjeeling zoo, where the zoo director requested her to name two recently born snow leopards and four red pandas. Embracing the request, she named the snow leopards “Darling” and “Charming” and the red pandas “Hilly,” “Pahariya,” “Victory,” and “Dream,” adding a cheerful touch to her eventful day in Darjeeling.