Mamata, Chamling meet to resolve differences between Bengal and Sikkim

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Sikkim counterpart Pawan Kumar Chamling on Friday agreed to bury the hatchet on the Darjeeling issue and work together for peace and development in both the states.

The two chief ministers held a meeting at the mini-secretariat here today.

Later, at a joint press conference, they said the differences that arose between them during the disturbances in Darjeeling last year were a matter of the past.

"We are neighbouring states. Both of us need a good understanding to maintain peace and promote development works. All misunderstandings are over now," they said, adding that "all the problems and petty issues" between the two states would be sorted out and coordination strengthened.

Chamling promised to cooperate with West Bengal in all the development initiatives in the Darjeeling hills. Banerjee, in turn, assured Chamling of her government's cooperation for Sikkim's development.

"Because of their strategic locations, both Darjeeling and Sikkim need peace and development for growth and prosperity," Banerjee said.

Stating that Sikkim's presence at the just-concluded Darjeeling Business Summit could have helped the region attract more investments, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo invited Chamling to its next edition.

Chamling too invited Banerjee to Sikkim.

Stating that a major share of tourists to Sikkim was from West Bengal, Banerjee said she would ensure that transportation between the two states was smooth.

"Bengalis constitute a major chunk of Sikkim's total tourist volume. I too love Sikkim, its capital Gangtok and several other places. We have to think about the tourists. Vehicles from both sides will move freely and officials from both the states will take appropriate measures in this regard," she said.

Banerjee had, last month, accused Sikkim of fuelling the unrest in Darjeeling. She had also alleged that those with vested interests in Sikkim did not want development in the hills of Bengal.

"The vested interests in Sikkim trigger violence in Darjeeling by using money, so that tourists flock to that state and the business increases there," she had said.

Chamling had voiced support to the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland during the over-three-month-long Darjeeling agitation last year and written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the statehood would fulfil the demand of the people of the hills, bring permanent peace in the region and benefit Sikkim.

The West Bengal government too had written to Singh, protesting against Chamling's support to the Gorkhaland demand.

The relation between the two states was also hit as Sikkim was alleged to have given shelter to fugitive Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung.