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For Hill development, GTA, district officials work in tandem

For Hill development, GTA, district officials work in tandem

SNS, Darjeeeling, 22 December 2017: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), which was always in loggerheads with the district administration in the past regarding implementation of development work in the GTA areas, is now ready to work with officials.
A meeting was also held today among the GTA officials, the Darjeeling and Kalimpong District Magistrates, SDOs, BDOs and administrative heads at Lalkothi here. This was the first time that the GTA held such a meeting with the officials after the Hill body got a new board of administrators in September last.
"We do not want to work in a parallel manner, but together, so that it is beneficial for the Hill people. The west Bengal government, along with the district administration is also cooperating with us, which is a good signal," said the GTA board chairman, Binay Tamang.
It may be mentioned that there were frequent clashes of interests between the GTA and the district administration when the Hill body was being run by Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung earlier. The GTA has also filed several cases against the state government, claiming that the district administration was interfering in the work being done in the Hills.
Yesterday, an order was issued to eight block development offices, asking them to form a block level development committee (BLDC).
"An order has been issued by the GTA for the formation of a BLDC, which will consist of 11 members with the chairman and the vice-chairman being nominated from among the locals of that area by the GTA board and the BDO being made the convener. The main work of the committee will be preparation of an annual action plan for all the schemes implemented from the BDO office. They will also be responsible for the implementation
and identification of beneficiaries under various schemes and monitor and supervise it. They will also have to prepare the utilization certificate and send fortnightly reports to the GTA and the district magistrate," Mr Tamang said.
Commenting on the district administration and the GTA working hand in hand, GTA, principal secretary Subrata Biswas said, "There is a vacuum in the rural areas, with no panchayat system in place, and no GTA Sabashads at present. We feel that we will be able to reach out to the people this way."
Various schemes related to the 100 days' work scheme, land documents, mining lease, old age pensions, housing schemes, rural electrification,
social welfare, drinking water, Fisheries, and horticulture, among other things, were discussed in the meeting, where completion of schemes for 2017-2018 and submission of utilization certificates and utilization of funds for different projects also figured.
On the other hand, Mr Tamang met Food and Supplies principal secretary Manoj Kumar Agrawal, at Lalkothi today. According to Mr Tamang, the state government has agreed to distribute ration to the people from Saturday for the period the Hills people witnessed a shutdown recently. He said that the principal secretary was also apprised of several grievances regarding the PDS system, like increase in the quota of kerosene, increase in the ration quota, and increase in the number of ration shops.According to Mr Tamang, the state government has agreed to meet all the demands.
"We have also put forward the demand for a survey to be conducted on BPL people in the hills, a District Food Controller Office for Kalimpong, midday meal being given through the GTA, increase in the number of food inspectors from 3 to 21."said Mr Tamang. According to him, the MR shops will be handling rectification of digital ration cards and applications for new ones.

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