Balasan water projects’ budget - Norbula’s initiative

Darjeeling: Balasan drinking water project, to quench the thirst of Darjeeling’s people is yet to initiate work. There seems a serious doubt about the West Bengal government’s sincerity towards the project. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee laid the foundation stone for the project in Darjeeling on 19 February.

Mr. Dawa Norbula, MP Darjeeling, has written a stern letter on the issue to Mr Gautam Deb, state public health and engineering minister. CPI-M Government is completely unsuccessful to solve the problem of water in the Darjeeling hills under its regime since 1977.

According to Mr Dawa Norbula, it was after his persuasion that the UPA government took up the project in earnest and the Planning Commission sanctioned Rs 10 crore to execute the project but the West Bengal government is yet to show some initiative and nothing substantial has come of it so far.

The delay could jeopardize the project because of price escalation.  Missing out the intended deadline might put the project in the backburner altogether as the project cost would overshoot the sanctioned amount due to the delay,” he stated in the letter.

This step motherly attitude towards the people of the Hills would frustrate them, said Mr. Norbula. West Bengal Government is not sincere in solving the drinking water problem of Darjeeling, he added further.