Siliguri, Jan. 17: The Bengal Ambuja Group will invest Rs 100 crore in three tourism projects in north Bengal, minister Gautam Deb today said.
A fourth project, by the developers of the Uttarayon Township here, will be in Sikkim. The chief minister, too, will announce a wide range of projects, quite a few of them in the tourism sector, when she visits the region next month.

Calcutta, Jan. 4: Holidaymakers in Darjeeling can soon add another must-do to their checklist: the ropeway ride that has been suspended for the past eight years. The state public works department has issued a no-objection certificate that will allow the ropeway to resume commercial operations. “A no-objection certificate was issued two days ago. The ropeway will resume commercial operations very soon,” said A.R. Bardhan, the PWD secretary.

Sikkim had little to cheer about in 2011 as a devastating earthquake snuffed out lives of over 80 people and caused heavy loss to property and infrastructure even as the state witnessed a dip in tourist arrivals and insignificant border trade. The 6.8 magnitude earthquake on September 18 caused an estimated loss of Rs 7,000 crore. During his visit, Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh assured the state a Rs 1000 crore rehabilitation package.

Darjeeling, Nov. 7: The state government has brought in RITES to draw up a comprehensive tourism master plan for Darjeeling in the next two months, the first such effort for the Queen of the Hills.
Mamata Banerjee’s decision to come up with the master plan is probably propelled by her announcement to turn Darjeeling into Switzerland.

KOLKATA, 27 OCT: In a move to improve the road network in Darjeeling and some other border districts, the state government has decided to spend Rs 150 crore over the next year under a Border Area Development Programme (BADP).
The Thirteenth Finance Commission will provide the funding for the project, said a senior official.

New Delhi, Oct.12: The Centre today released Rs 120 crore for earthquake-ravaged north Bengal, within 12 hours of Mamata Banerjee requesting a Union home ministry team for Rs 500 crore.

NEW DELHI, 12 OCT: The Centre has released Rs 120 crore to West Bengal for relief and rehabilitation of the victims of last month's devastating earthquake.
Following a request from the state, the government approved Rs 120.02 crore for relief and rehabilitation of quake-affected people, a home ministry official said. The amount was the second instalment of Central share of State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF). This will be in addition to around Rs 554.55 crore available with the state government in SDRF for relief expenditure.

DARJEELING, 11 OCT: Laying the foundation stone for a tourist lodge and rural marketing complex in Jorepokhri, BPHCs in Mirik and Rambi, a multi-level car parking facility in Darjeeling and integrated development and beautification of the Darjeeling Mall Road-Chowrasta crossing, chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee today virtually turned a wish-tree for the Hills.

DARJEELING, 10 OCT: The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) leadership today demanded a Rs 1,000-crore special package at par with Sikkim for reconstruction, relief, rehabilitation and restoration work in and around Darjeeling, following the devastation in the earthquake.

SILIGURI, 9 OCT: The Darjeeling district administration has been falling upon its contingency funds in providing relief to the earthquake victims across the Hills who are now residing in over 100 makeshift shelters.