Cooch Behar, Nov 4 (PTI) Greater Cooch Behar movement leader Ananta Rai met Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik on Friday, and claimed the formation of a new Union territory, carved out of West Bengal, is only a matter of time.

Rai had an hour-long meeting with Pramanik in Bhetaguri town of Cooch Behar district.

Also Read | Twitter Layoffs: Over 200 Employees in India Sacked, Told To Go Home After CEO Elon Musk’s Global Job Cut Order.

"I believe it will happen soon. I cannot comment on the time and date. But, you can be rest assured that the new Union territory of Cooch Behar is only a matter of time," Rai told reporters after the meeting.

When asked about Rai's statement, Pramanik said, "I will comment on it when the time comes."

Also Read | Delhi: Gangster Nabbed After Video of Robbing Toyota Fortuner at Gunpoint Goes Viral.

Rai leads a faction of the Greater Cooch Behar People's Association, which seeks a separate Greater Cooch Behar state carved out of northern West Bengal.

A section of the BJP leaders from the region, including Alipurduar MP John Barla, Matigara-Naxalbari MLA Anandamoy Barman and Dabgram-Phulbari MLA Shikha Chatterjee, has been demanding a Union territory be carved out of the state.

The TMC said it would never allow the division of West Bengal.

"They can hold as many meetings as they want or say whatever they feel like but there will be no division of West Bengal," North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said.

Northern West Bengal with its eight districts, including the picturesque Darjeeling, is economically significant for the state as it is home to the revenue-generating tea, timber and tourism industries. However, the region has witnessed several violent statehood movements since the '80s by ethnic groups such as Gorkhas, Rajbanshis, Kochs and Kamatapuris.

They allege that the region has been neglected by successive governments based in Kolkata.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2021 assembly elections, BJP tasted most of its success in West Bengal in this region, while the TMC holds sway over the southern districts, which have more seats.

The strategically important Siliguri corridor, commonly known as 'chicken neck', which connects the Northeast to the rest of the country also passes through this region.

Northern West Bengal also shares borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)