Gorkha Hill Transport Composite Complex – A betrayal

Gorkha Hill Transport Composite Complex has been turned into a private hotel by the current disposition writes Yurish Pradhan

During the tenure of Subhash Ghisingh and under the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), a vision was laid out to create a Gorkha Hill Transport Composite Complex in Darjeeling More, Siliguri – a project inspired by the Sikkim Nationalised Transport Composite Complex.

The plan was to build a unified transport hub that would serve as a lifeline for the hill population, designed to benefit both local passengers and hill taxi drivers across Darjeeling.

This initiative promised to bring organization and relief to the chaotic transport system of the hills. Passengers would have been able to conveniently find vehicles to destinations such as Kurseong, Sukhia, Mungpoo, and other hill regions, all from one central location.

For the drivers, it would have ended years of harassment from traffic restrictions, syndicate mafias, and irregular parking issues.

The complex was envisioned as a safe, structured, and publicly owned space a people’s project built through public funds and taxpayers’ money.

However, that vision has been betrayed.

The land, which was originally allotted for the welfare of the people, has reportedly been leased out to private operators, who have turned it into a commercial hotel. What was once meant to be a transport composite complex for public benefit, has now been converted into a private enterprise, depriving the hill community of a crucial public facility.

It is unacceptable that public properties built for the welfare of the common people are being taken over by private players for personal gain. Such actions enrich a few individuals while depriving the Gorkha community of facilities that were created for their collective well-being. This reflects a disturbing trend where the voices and rights of the working class are being ignored in the name of development and commercialization.

This act has caused public outrage, with citizens and drivers voicing their anger at what they see as a blatant misuse of public property. The decision reflects a growing pattern of privatization of community assets, where land and facilities created through collective effort and taxpayer money are slowly being transferred to private hands.

The people of the hills have every reason to feel betrayed. The Gorkha Hill Transport Composite Complex was not just a development project, it was a symbol of self-reliance, organization, and respect for local drivers who form the backbone of the hill economy. Its loss to private interests is not just the loss of land, but the loss of trust in governance and accountability.

The call from the people is clear – Public property must remain for public use. What belongs to the community must not be turned into a playground for private profit.

Writes: Yurish Pradhan