West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday inaugurated the ‘Mega Tourism Hub’ named ‘Bhorer Aalo’ at Gazoldoba near the Teesta Barrage Project in Jalpaiguri district.

Addressing the programme, Miss Banerjee asked administration officials to declare it as a notified area so that land mafia cannot grab land marked for the mega tourism project.

She also warned that nobody would be spared if found involved in such illegal land dealings there. “Whether police are involved, if my partymen are involved, or if any local land sharks are involved in land grabbing, all will be punished and stern action will be taken against them.

Nobody will be spared,” she said. She further asked the Siliguri Police Commissioner to set up a special police station here to keep monitoring the project and stop encroachment.

She also asked administrative officials to create a special post and appoint an officer in the rank of sub-divisional officer, who will monitor the entire project as SDOs from Jalpaiguri or Siliguri cannot always keep eye on the project.

The chief minister also specially asked chief secretary Malay De to look into the matter and take video footage of the project as a record of the present position of land earmarked for it so that authorities can identify the encroached areas and can take action against land sharks in the future.

I invite all of you to come and see ‘Bhorer Alo’.

Some pictures of today’s event are uploaded here for all of you. pic.twitter.com/tBxM6aPxiB

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) October 3, 2018

According to the CM, a total of 210-acre land has been earmarked and the state government has spent Rs 320 crore for its development. Miss Banerjee claimed that ‘Bhorer aalo’ (Light of Dawn) may be the Ray of Future (Vobishyat’r Aalo) if we ‘glorify’ it properly by protecting the project area.

Miss Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress chief, further stressed on the need for connectivity of the place and proposed setting up an airport in a nearby area, besides other proposed projects like Golf Course, five star hotels, resorts, orchid camp, youth hostel, helipad, counter of Bangla and even Banglar Haat.

She also alerted police officials, especially SPs, in keeping “all their senses open” and not work from their office rooms. “The days are over for carrying out jobs sitting in a room.

They need to visit the fields frequently,” she said adding, “If an officer-in-charge in a police station does not carry out his/her duties properly, there is no need of the OC.” It may be noted here that several industrialists from Kolkata and Siliguri, who are interested in the tourism project, were present here today.

Significantly, the CM handed over an appointment letter to Pabitra Barman, the brother of Swapna Barman, the Asiad golden girl, for a job in the tourism department. She also handed over assistance to local boatmen and local boys and girls associated with sports.

She released a catalog of birds named ‘Birds’ of Gazoldoba’ for bird watchers. She also proposed to build watch towers for tourists. Principal Secretary of the tourism department Atri Bhattacharjee explained the mega project through a Powerpoint presentation.

Addressing the audience, chief secretary Malay De said: “It is a dream project of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This project will bring socioeconomic changes and huge employment opportunities.

After completion of a bridgeover railway, the distance to this place will be shorter.” “After completion of the bridge, a car will take 40 minutes from Bagdogra to Gazoldoba instead of 1.15 hours,” Miss Banerjee said.