Will ask Centre for Rs 500 crore more for Darjeeling: Mamata

Darjeeling, Oct 11 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said she would ask for Rs 500 crore from the Centre for reconstruction of quake-affected areas in Darjeeling hills, in addition to the Rs 500 crore she has already written for. "I have already written to the Centre for Rs 500 crore from the National Disaster Management Fund. In addition to that we will ask for an additional Rs 500 crore as the devastation in Darjeeling and Kalimpong have been extensive and will require funds for reconstruction and in helping people to get back to normal life," Banerjee said at a function here. She said that while neighbouring Sikkim was the worst-affected in the 6.8 earthquake, Darjeeling was also badly hit. "Many people are still homeless and roads and infrastructure have been affected," she said. A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha delegation, led by its president Bimal Gurung, last evening met the chief minister and demanded an assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for the hills. Banerjee said apart from this, the state government would pursue with the Centre grant of subsidy to Darjeeling for hill area development. "We will pursue with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for 90 per cent subsidy for hill area development," she said. She said that in other hill areas in the North East, such subsidy was given by the Centre due to remoteness, but Darjeeling did not receive it.