Morcha outreach

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, May 18: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has started planning strategies to increase mass contact across the hills at time the Trinamul Congress has made some inroads in the region and formed the board at Mirik municipality after almost three decades.

A source said Bimal Gurung would hold a meeting with all the party candidates in Darjeeling tomorrow.

"Every councillor from the hills would be asked to undertake a cleanliness drive in their respective wards on every Thursday," said the source.

Sources said Gurung would also direct his councillors to hold a janta darbar (people's court) in their wards once a week.

"This is being done to be in touch with the common people," the source added.

The Morcha chief had yesterday said the people had given the party "a last chance" and it was time to "sit down soon and analyse".

According to the sources, the Morcha would ask the new municipality chairpersons to set up administrative booths in each ward.

"We want a ward committee of nine members in each ward. This committee would help the municipality commissioner discharge his duties. We do not want the commissioners to have a free hand in running the show," the leader added.

The strategies are crucial to the Morcha ahead of the GTA elections scheduled for August.