Hill Parties Welcome Judicial Panel to Probe Institutional Corruption

Amitava Banerjee, MP, July 16, 2026, Darjeeling: Hill political parties have welcomed the West Bengal government's decision to constitute a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of institutional corruption across various government departments and agencies between 2011 and May 2026, including those operating in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

According to a notification published in the Kolkata Gazette Extraordinary on July 13, the Commission will be headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Biswajit Basu under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.

The notification states that the inquiry will cover allegations of corruption, financial irregularities and abuse of authority in several sectors, including education, food and supplies, disaster relief, housing, fisheries, public works, land administration, municipalities, panchayats and the GTA area.

The Commission has been empowered to summon witnesses, examine documents, receive complaints from the public and recommend registration of FIRs wherever irregularities are detected.

It will also investigate alleged misuse of public funds, irregularities in government recruitment, illegal construction, corruption in educational and medical institutions, and other matters connected with institutional corruption.

The notification clarifies that cases already under investigation by statutory commissions or Central investigating agencies will remain outside its purview.

Welcoming the development, Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF) chief convenor Ajoy Edwards thanked Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for the inclusion of the GTA within its scope.

"Some politicians from the ruling party were attempting to shield elected representatives, technocrats and contractors linked to the GTA, municipalities and panchayats," alleged Edwards.

He said the IGJF has always raised its voice against corruption and has several cases pending before the Calcutta High Court relating to the GTA and municipalities.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said, "This is the beginning of a new era of responsive governance focused on restoring public trust and cleaning up the system. The inquiry should remain impartial, transparent and time-bound."

He further urged the Commission to accord priority to cases from the Hills, Terai and Dooars.

"We welcome the inquiry. Ever since we came into power in 2022, the entire system in the GTA was digitised. Prior to that it was manual. We have proof that many financial audit reports were not submitted prior to our party running the GTA. We hope that the constant allegations of corruption raised by the Opposition become a closed chapter with this inquiry," stated S.P. Sharma, spokesperson of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, the party in power in the GTA.