W.Bengal clears plot allotment

State chief minister T.R.Zeliang accompanied by parliamentary secretary PWD(Housing) Er.Levi Rengma met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Writers Building Kolkata last Monday to seal the deal.

According to sources in the CMO, the final nod to facilitate taking over possession of the allotted plot had been delayed for over a year since approval for clearance could not be made. The state government had been pursuing the matter since then and had even cleared payment for the land on perpetual lease to the government of Nagaland.

It may be also recalled, that the government of Nagaland has its famous guest house in the heart of Kolkata at Shakespeare Sarani, which is mired by a controversial lease agreement with the contractor signed during the 70s. 

The second guest house has come up in Lake Town which was inaugurated last year. However according to official sources, there are several issues with the new guest house at Lake Town which altogether, left much to be desired by way of comfort and ambiance.

It was disclosed, that the state government plans to construct its third guest house at Rajarghat with comfortably sized- rooms and facilities to meet the needs of travellers from Nagaland including VVIPs. 

At the meeting on Monday, the two chief ministers also discussed the issue of reimbursement for deployment of IR (NAP) Battalion to West Bengal during 2010-14. The sources said the West Bengal chief minister assured to take up the issue for reimbursement of Rs. 92 crore due to Nagaland , with Ministry of Home Affairs and intimate the outcome to Nagaland government.

Nagaland DGP has been taking up the matter with DGP West Bengal on several occasions but without any positive response. However after the meeting of the chief ministers of the two states, Ms. Mamata Banerjee Nagaland chief minister that West Bengal would pressurize MHA to release the four-year pending reimbursement to her state so that the amount could be transferred to the government of Nagaland.