Darjeeling MP seeks Helicopter service to boost tourism
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista met with civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu to discuss the ongoing Bagdogra Airport expansion project.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista met with civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu to discuss the ongoing Bagdogra Airport expansion project.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has strongly opposed chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to allow 30 per cent of tea garden land to be diverted for non-tea purposes, calling it a “dangerous and dictatorial” policy that could displace indigenous communities.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista underscored the critical role of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in safeguarding the Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars, which include the strategically significant “Chicken Neck” region of India.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista raised the issue of re-inclusion of 11 excluded Gorkha sub-tribes—Gurung, Bhujel, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami, Yakkha, and Dhimal—as Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Parliament, emphasising the urgency of the matter.
After chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s criticism of Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, the latter hit back with a strong counterattack, responding to her remarks.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, accompanied by Sikkim MP Indra Hang Subba, met with Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Mon day, urging him to expedite the re-inclusion of left-out Gorkha sub-tribes as Scheduled Tribes.
The Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network (HHTDN) has requested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to roll back the Value Added Tax (VAT) on air turbine fuel (ATF) for Bagdogra Airport from the newly imposed 12.5% back to its previous rate of 0%.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista on Saturday criticised the West Bengal government's decision to impose a 12.5 per cent value-added tax (VAT) on air turbine fuel (ATF) at Bagdogra airport, warning it poses a significant threat to the aviation industry's recovery.
He urged the central government to take action in order to protect this vulnerable area from further encroachment.
Mr Bista also emphasized that, as per Section (21) of the Act, land and land revenue matters are within the purview of GTA, not the state government.
