Social media posts on Chicken’s Neck UT plan ‘fake’, says Centre

Kolkata: The Centre on Saturday dubbed social media reports about it mulling carving out a Union Territory in the Siliguri corridor, also called the Chicken's Neck, taking districts from Bengal and Bihar "fake and misleading".The Press Information Bureau (PIB) said: "This claim is fake. There is no such proposal under consideration by the Govt of India. Always verify information from official sources before sharing."
The Chicken's Neck corridor, which at its narrowest point measures 20-22km in width and 60km in length, is the only land route connecting mainland India to eight states in the northeast — Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Sikkim — making it a vital economic, transportation and military lifeline for more than 45 million people living in the region.CM Mamata Banerjee had earlier responded to the social media posts saying: "I saw a post that Bengal and Bihar could be partitioned to form a Union Territory. Let them touch Bengal if they have the guts. This is their conspiracy. They did it once in Bihar, by creating Jharkhand, and now they are trying to do it again."While some regional formations in north Bengal have pressed for separate statehood or, occasionally, Union Territory status, the Bengal govt and the Trinamool Congress have consistently opposed such demands. The Congress and Left parties have maintained the same stance. The Bengal BJP has also officially opposed any talks regarding the division of Bengal.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !