Mamata pins hope on Darjeeling summit for trade opportunities

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the upcoming two-day Darjeeling Business Summit from March 13 would open a window of new opportunities for trade and employment.
Talking to reporters at state secretariat 'Nabanna', Banerjee said the hills have the potential for development of business and commerce.
She said apart from promoting tourism and tea industry, horticulture and floriculture, there was a lot of scope for cinchona cultivation in the region.
"The hills will prosper only through development in business, economic growth, employment generation and peace," the CM said.
Banerjee said she would leave for Darjeeling on March 12 to attend the summit, along with some of her Cabinet colleagues, senior officials and a business delegation.

The CII will partner the state government and Gorkha Territorial Administration in organising the first such event in the hills.

GTA Chairman Benoy Tamang had recently interacted with CII Eastern Region Council members in Kolkata ahead of the summit.
"Darjeeling is a land of abundant natural and human resources," Tamang had said.
Apart from focusing on eco-tourism and adventure tourism, GTA is in the process of identifying some heritage sites which can be converted into effective tourism products, he said.
He also expressed hope that the industry body would extend cooperation in setting up high-end hotels in the region.