Home secretary denies facing resistance from GJMM supporter.... Jeers greet basudeb

Photo: Rabin Rai, darjeelingtimes.com

SNS, Darjeeling, 7 August 2013: The state home secretary, Mr Basudeb Banerjee, who had arrived in Darjeeling yesterday to assess the current situation in the Hills was jeered by the Gorkhaland supporters shouting slogans for statehood outside the premises of the office of the Darjeeling district magistrate today. 

The home secretary left the convoy and walked all the way up to reach the DM office along with the outgoing DM Mr Saumitra Mohan and other senior administrative and police officials amidst tight security. After holding a conference at the GTA headquarters at Lalkothi, Mr Banerjee said; “I had visited Darjeeling earlier in June. It was peaceful then.” 

After the change of guard in the state, the new government had begun implementing most of the development projects for the Hills in right earnest, he said. 

“Even a board was formed to expedite the transfer of the departments to the GTA as per the meeting held earlier with the GJMM leaders,” he added. So far, the GTA has received Rs 64 crore as development assistance, said the official. Regarding the salary of the government employees which has remained withheld for a month, Mr Banerjee said he would hold talks with the higher officials in Kolkata. 

Meanwhile, three GLP men, arrested for their alleged involvement in the incident of arson involving the Rimbick range office on 2 August, were produced at the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court today. 

“The court has rejected their bail plea. They have been booked under Section 436/437/120,” said the assistant public prosecutor, Mr Pankaj Prasad. “They have been remanded in judicial custody,” he added. 

Photo: Rabin rai, darjeelingtimes.com

The court has further rejected the bail plea of 16 GJMM activists arrested earlier in connection with blocking the DSP van at Chowk bazaar and allegedly for setting a police van on fire at Singhamari. According to the Darjeeling SP, Mr Kunal Agarwal, 146 GJMM activists have been arrested so far in relation with several cases of violence, arson and obstruction that happened after things flared up here in the aftermath of the ruling UPA having endorsed the creation of the state of Telangana. 

Life in Hills has remained paralysed as the indefinite bandh has entered its fifth day today. However, Darjeeling police arrested the vice president of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) vice president Amrit Yonzan. He is wanted in three cases. 

SNS, Siliguri, 7 August The West Bengal home secretary, Mr Basudeb Banerjee, has denied having faced any resistance by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) activists in Darjeeling today. Mr Banerjee, who was in Darjeeling to take stock of the situation, reportedly had to walk from the office of the superintendent of police to the district magistrate office because the GJMM activists were squatting and shouting slogans. 

“I have not faced any problem there. I held a meeting at Gorkhaland Territorial Administration( GTA) office and also had gone to the district magistrate's office,” Mr Banerjee told reporters in Siliguri today. He said the bandh was partial in the Hills. 

A meeting was held involving the north Bengal development minister Mr Gautam Deb, the home secretary, the GTA principal secretary Mr R D Meena, the Darjeeling district magistrate Mr Saumitra Mohan, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police commissioner Mr K Jayaraman, the representatives of the tea industry, traders, and tour operators at Circuit House. 

Mr Deb advised the GJMM leaders to read the people’s mind. “People in the remote areas of the Hills have been badly hit with the shutdowns, time has come the GJMM leaders should read the writing on the wall," he said. 

The minister said the government would not allow any divisive forces to demand separate states. He also said an appeal had been made to the traders to thwart the bandh in Siliguri. 

“We want normalcy to be restored in the Hills. The elected Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) representatives should work for the development,” Mr Deb said.