CM opens 2 eateries, including 'Café House', in Darjeeling

DARJEELING: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee scripted a tale of two inaugurations in Darjeeling on Tuesday. While one was the plush Café House which she had urged to be built, the other was a roadside makeshift stall that she had promised to help construct.

Café House on the lines of the iconic Coffee House, Kolkata, has come up at the Hotel Retreat, a unit of the Techno India group, at the Darjeeling Chowrasta. During her visit to the Hills on March 31 this year, Banerjee had urged Satyam Roychowdhury, Managing Director of the group, to construct the café. She had even composed a theme song. On Tuesday, she inaugurated the Café House.

"Where ever there is a will there's a way. I had urged Satyam to come up with a Café House and he has done it. They have proved that such work can be completed even in three months. I am truly impressed. Tourists have to come here. They will get an excellent view of the majestic Kanchenjunga along with the food and beverages," stated Banerjee.

The Chief Minister also hummed Tagore's "Alokeri Jharna Dharae Dhuiye Dao" along with actor and singer Saheb Chatterjee.

"I was drinking coffee one day. The Chief Minister came in and told me to construct a coffee house and named it the Café House. She later returned and even composed the theme song. This Café House is a fallout of her wishes," stated Roychowdhury.

From the Café House, Banerjee headed straight for a roadside eatery and inaugurated it.

Interestingly during her last visit, she had come across a group of ladies running a makeshift eatery. They had complained that they have no shop owing to which they are compelled to close shop during monsoons. Banerjee had then assured them that she would get a shed constructed for them. She had even helped them shape Momos then.

At the eatery, Banerjee mashed potatoes and stuffed 'Phuchkas' to serve kids playing on the street. She even invited tourists from Bangladesh to join in.

"Add roasted cumin and coriander to the mashed potatoes to make the Phuchkas taste even better," advised the Chief Minister, while serving 'Phuchkas' to the kids.

"We are truly thankful to the Chief Minister. Owing to her, we now have a shed from where we can run our business even during monsoons," stated a member of Anjuli Self Help Group, an SHG running the eatery.