GJMM to write to state govt for early civic polls in Darjeeling

SNS,Darjeeling, 3 January 2017: The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) today decided to send a letter to the state government as well as to the state election commission demanding the municipal elections in the Darjeeling Hills as soon as possible.

Notably, the state has reappointed administrators in all municipalities in the Hills after the expiry of their terms, instead of conducting elections.

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief, Mr Bimal Gurung, held a meeting at Lalkothi with all departmental and discussed the development measures being taken by the urban civic bodies in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik.

In the meeting, officials brought up the technical difficulties in implementing the projects conceived and proposed by the municipalities, by the GTA after the state government appointed administrators to run Kalimpong, Kurseong and Darjeeling municipalities.

It was also proposed that the municipalities should give the details of the projects to the GTA. Senior GJMM leader and GTA offiicial Mr Binay Tamang said the municipalities would be asked to submit the details of projects, taken up by them until their elections, to the GTA. "All municipalities are under the control of the GTA. We will write to the state election commission demanding civic polls in the Hills as soon as possible," said Mr Tamang.

It may be recalled that the appointed administrators in both the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad and conducted elections later. Both the SMC and SMP are under the control of the Left Front.