The Central government on Saturday denounced a “fake” social media post claiming that a new union territory comprising areas of Bihar and West Bengal is being developed near the Siliguri corridor.
In Post X, the Press Information Bureau said social media posts claim that planning is underway to create a new UT. Describing the claim as false, she said that no such proposal was under consideration by the Government of India.
It also urged users to always check information from official sources before sharing it on social media.
The widely circulated posts claimed that the proposed districts include Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj, Kattiha, Malda and Dinajpur in West Bengal.
Some posts also claimed that the BJP-led NDA government issued a whip to all its MPs from March 9 to 11, indicating that an important bill or constitutional move could be tabled in Parliament.
The posts also mentioned Home Minister Amit Shah’s three-day visit to Bihar’s Seemanchal district, indicating that discussions had intensified. Last month, Amit Shah embarked on a three-day visit to Seemanchal districts of Bihar with a focus on ending the war against the left-wing extremism-led insurgency by making the region and the country a ‘Naxal-Mukt’.
India’s “Chicken Neck”, or Siliguri Corridor, is a narrow strip of land 22-35 km wide, connecting the northeastern region with the rest of India.
Earlier, a similar “fake” claim was circulated that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was promoting an investment project offering returns. $10 lakh per month on investment $22,000. The PIB declared the advertisement fake, stating that the union minister did not support any such scheme.
