Siliguri, 20th August: Tourism Minister and Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh held a series of meetings at the State Guest House in Siliguri on Thursday, discussing municipal services, hotel fire safety, school students’ use of motorcycles and scooters, and the city’s traffic situation.
The minister held three separate meetings with government officials, representatives of hotel associations and fire safety officials, as well as officials and teachers from several schools in the city.
The first meeting was held with the Siliguri Municipal Corporation Commissioner and other municipal officials. Several issues concerning the municipal corporation, including allegations of irregularities, were discussed.
With no elected councillors currently in the municipal wards, the minister said residents are facing difficulties in addressing ward-level issues. He directed SMC officials to ensure that public grievances are resolved promptly at the ward level.
Shankar Ghosh also said a dedicated WhatsApp helpline has already been launched for residents to submit their complaints.
The second meeting was held with representatives of hotel associations and fire safety officials. The meeting reviewed the fire safety arrangements available at hotels and discussed possible shortcomings. A proposal was also made to provide special fire safety training to hotel staff through a joint initiative of the government and hotel operators.
In the third meeting, the minister met officials and teachers from several schools to discuss students below 18 years of age travelling to school on motorcycles and scooters. School authorities were instructed to take strict action if students below 18 are found arriving at school on two-wheelers.
Traffic management and the deteriorating traffic situation in Siliguri were also discussed during the meetings. The minister assured that steps would be taken to address the issues at the earliest.