NEW DELHI: Former Foreign Secretary and G20 Chief Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla is not in the race for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, but continues to work on the ground in Darjeeling, Siliguri and neighbouring areas.
"My objective is to serve the people here and help them in whatever possible way from channelising the youth who are seeking employment, to working for the welfare of the elderly. I am working for the Prime Minister post retirement and reaching out to common people through the Darjeeling Welfare Society which was established nearly a decade back," Shringla told The New Indian Express.
Darjeeling and the Siliguri corridor area are strategic development initiatives which have suffered due to gaps in Centre-state coordination.
"The Siliguri corridor abuts Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and China and connects India to South East Asia and East Asia through Myanmar. So it is of strategic significance. Besides, there is a lot that needs to be done for the local people here," he added.
The locals of Darjeeling and Siliguri have been appreciative of his work in the area and were actually hoping to see him contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
"The locals are very appreciative of him, specially after he organised G20 events here. He has also helped the young people get jobs in the area," Sreejana C Gurung, an educationist from Mirik, told TNIE.
In a job fair organised in the area a few months back, which Shringla had facilitated, nearly 270 youth were offered jobs.
Meanwhile, talking about the Siliguri corridor, Shringla said this part of the country was in a position to benefit from PM Modi’s focus on transforming the North East.
"The area is now in a position where it can leverage the conjuction of national and international initiatives. Siliguri, for instance, is where the National Highways Authority of India’s Golden Quadrilateral will connect to the Asian Highway network and future BIMSTEC land connectivity initiatives," Shringla added.
The Siliguri-Bagdogra is at a strategic location near Nepal and Bhutan borders and fosters cross-border trade while its fertile plains support a thriving agricultural sector.
Meanwhile, even though Shringla isn’t contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, there is talk of him being offered a position of significance once the electoral process is over.