Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista has announced the Centre’s decision to set up a Covid-19 testing lab “as requested by me” at a nursing home in Siliguri.

On Wednesday, Anit Thapa, the chairman of the board of administrators, GTA, informed that the state had agreed to provide TrueNAT machines for Covid-19 tests in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.

Bista posted an ICMR notification stating that Anandaloke Sonoscan Centre Pvt Limted in Siliguri had been approved for tests.

“I am grateful to Hon’ble Health Minister for approving one more COVID testing lab in our region, as requested by me,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday night.

Thapa said: “We had requested the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, for the test machines but sadly our request fell into deaf ears and thanked state chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the same. The machine can test two samples simultaneously and provide results within 60 to 90 minutes.”

An observer said political shadow-boxing between Bista and Thapa had not ended.