Mamata’s bandh circular for the Hills

SNS, Kolkata, 4 February 2013: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is taking a tough stand on the bandh call given by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) in the Darjeeling Hills. The state government is issuing a bandh circular which says that its employees will not get leave during the strike. The GJMM has called a bandh from 9 March to 27 March, for 19 days at a stretch, demanding Gorkhaland. The bandh call was given after the renewal of hostilities between two sides.  

Even though Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra has spoken of cooperation between the state government and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration headed by GJMM chief Bimal Gurung, the state government's tough stance can be gauged by the bandh circular.  

The circular is usually followed by another circular from the Finance Department which states that a day's salary will be deducted from the employee's pay if he does not turn up on a bandh day without valid reason.

Once the circular is issued, employees cannot ask for leave. Contrary to her earlier stand, Miss Banerjee is not keen to give ground to the GJMM leadership who are on the war path.