West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said periodic unrest in Darjeeling has disturbed her plans to build the picturesque hill station as one of the best-tourist-destinations in the country. She said that her development plans for the hills were spoiled because of the unrest which eventually affected the tourist footfall there. Ms Banerjee said that a new Jagannath temple would soon be build in Digha.

A district consumer forum directed Oyo Rooms, a website for booking budget lodging, to pay Rs.55,000 to a consumer who booked a hotel room which turned out to be 75km away from the place he wanted to stay. The consumer made the booking after the Oyo website displayed hotels in Darjeeling when he searched for hotels in Pelling, Sikkim.

The picturesque Darjeeling hills in West Bengal is gearing for a pitched battle between two Gorkhas in the Lok Sabha elections, as development and restoration of democracy top the poll planks, relegating the long-standing demand for a separate Gorkhaland. Mr Gurung is supporting BJP's Raju Singh Bisht, while Mr Tamang is in favour of Trinamool's Amar Singh Rai.