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Tamang says new 'set-up'coming

Tamang says new 'set-up'coming

SNS, 21 January 2018: Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leader and chairman of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Binoy Tamang today promised a "new set-up," which he claimed will end the "identity crisis" at the Gorkhas even as he lashed out at neighbouring state of Sikkim and the BJP government at the Centre.
Addressing the first major public meeting the party held alter the recent bout of agitation and the restoration of peace in September last, Mr Tamang, however, did not want to say what the set-up would be exactly.
"Walking again on the path that we have unsuccessfully walked several times in the past would be a foolish idea now We have to now go ahead with new thinking, new ideas, and new strategy and look for a solution to our identity crisis problem Mr Tamang told the crowd that overflowed the Sukna School grounds near Siliguri.
"I have talked to the highest forum for a solution, and the set -up that will come here, that is on its way, will ensure that we are safe in India. We will then not have questions on our identity. Until now the Gorkha community had been living in a house that had no foundation. We are building that foundation now, but please don't ask me what it is all about right now. We have failed time and again because past leaders spoke too much, too early, and I don't want to make that mistake again. For the new set-up, I will not ask you to go for an agitation, will not kill people, will not jail people, but will get the set-up by keeping the Hills,Tarai and the Dooars peaceful" he added. He also slammed the Sikkim government for -meddling" in the affairs of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
"We don't have anything against our brothers and sisters in Sikkim, as we have been living in harmony like the nail and the flesh beneath it...but I want to tell the Sikkim government that we don't want to interfere in the state's politics, and we want Sikkim also to not meddle in our affairs. The ball is now in Sikkim CM Pawan Chamling's court, and it is for him to decide on what kind of relationship he wants with us" he said, stressing that he was only against the government there, and absolutely not against the people.
It may be mentioned here that Sikkim had been vocal during the recent Gorkhaland agitation, with Mr Chamling fully supporting the statehood demand.
Mr Tamang further came down heavily on the BJP that the GJM has supported for the past eight years and helped the party win the Darjeeling MP seat twice.
"We gave you two MPs (Jaswant Singh and sitting MP SS Ahluwalia), what did you give us?" he asked the BJP-led Central government.
From the demand for a central university in the Hills to tribal status for 11 Hill communities, the Centre did nothing, even after I went to Delhi with 53 kg of documents related to the latter demand," he said, adding, "How will a party that failed to grant a mere tribal status
to the 11 communities give us Gorkhaland?"
He added that the BJP and even the Gorkhas, should now think if the BJP deserves the votes for the "2019 general elections here.
Explaining to the public the circumstances under which he had to leave the agitation and became the GTA chief, Mr Tamang also announced several development projects that the GTA has already taken up and is in the process of undertaking. Among the major ones, he said he has directed the Sidrabong Hydel Project in the Hills to provide electricity to all nearby villages by 28 February, and that the GTA has decided to rename the Rohini Road to Subhas Ghisingh Road after the former GNLF leader, under whose initiation the important road was built.
"Had Mr Ghising not built the road, Darjeeling people would have had to suffer whenever National Highway-55 or the Mungpoo or Mirik road suffered damages during natural calamities,' he said.
He further announced that there will be no shutdowns during his tenure of "zero enmity" at the GTA.
Addressing the gathering, vice-chairman of the GTA Anit Thapa appealed to the people to give them a chance to serve them, and called for a Gorkha to stop going against another Gorkha. "Let us all believe in Binoy Tamang once. He will surely lead us to our destination. We will work with utmost sincerity and honesty,' he said.

GTA decisions, major plans in the offing

EDUCATION
  • Technical, vocational institutes to be set up
  • More casual teachers to be made permanent
  • Scholarships for top 10 Class XI/ XII Graduation meritorious students from this year
  • Quotas for Hill students in engineering, MBBS, other courses

HEALTH
  • .Darjeeling,Kurseong, Kalimpong govt hospitals to be made Super Specialty Hospitals, with specialists
  • Training for technicians to operate MRI/Scan machines
  • Rambi Block Pry Helath Centre to be upgraded and made Trauma Centre, especially to treat road accident victims on NH-10
  • Mobile ambulance vans for Hill areas

SPORTS
  • .Sports academy/ Stadium
  • Development of sports like Body building and badminton

TOURISM
  • Thrust on Eco,village, adventure, pilgrimage tourism, and exploration of virgin areas
  • Helipad/ helicoptor services
  • All roadside buildings/houses in all municipalities must be painted, so that they look good and attractive


OTHERS
  • .Conferences/ seminars on tourism, education, infrastructure etc
  • Darjeeling to be made industrial hub
  • Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik towns to be made Free-WiFi zones
  • Shutdown-free Hills
  • All roads to be cleaned and made accident-free
  • Rohini Road to be named Subhas Ghisingh Road

DEMANDS
  • .Hills must be declared tax-free zone, like Sikkim, for business to grow
  • Electricity subsidy that used to be given to Hills till 1965, must be given again from April 20

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