West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday said the state government is planning to introduce the Panchayat Raj system in the Darjeeling hills as part of a broader development push for North Bengal.
Speaking in Siliguri, Ghosh said the newly formed government wants to strengthen grassroots administration and improve infrastructure across the hill region. “We are thinking about the development of North Bengal. We will be starting Panchayat Raj in the hills and improving infrastructure. We have to work on many things that the earlier government lacked,” he said.
The statement is significant because the Darjeeling hills have traditionally been administered through autonomous hill bodies instead of the regular three-tier Panchayat system followed in most rural parts of West Bengal. Any move to introduce Panchayat Raj could trigger fresh political discussions in the region, where issues related to autonomy and governance remain sensitive.
Ghosh, who recently took charge of the Panchayat and Rural Development department in the new BJP-led Bengal government, has repeatedly spoken about restructuring rural administration and tackling corruption at the grassroots level. After assuming office earlier this month, he highlighted staff shortages, rural distress and alleged irregularities in the panchayat system, promising major reforms.
The minister also said the government’s focus would remain on infrastructure development, employment and improving public services in North Bengal. Political observers believe the announcement is part of the BJP government’s attempt to increase administrative integration in the hills after securing strong support from the region in the recent Assembly elections.
The remarks come amid heightened political activity in West Bengal following the change in government. While the BJP has projected development and governance reforms as its main agenda, opposition parties are expected to closely watch any move related to administrative restructuring in the hill areas.
