Home secy gone, Lal Kothi deserted

The bolted gate of GTA headquarters in Darjeeling. Picture by Suman Tamang

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Aug. 8: The headquarters of the GTA Sabha, Lal Khoti, which was abuzz with activities during the home secretary’s 15-minute visit yesterday, was deserted today. 

When Metro visited Lal Khoti around 11.30am today, the main gate was bolted, though not locked, and except four policemen on duty and an intelligence bureau officer, no one was present. 

Sources said principal secretary R.D. Meena had not come to the office today as he was in Siliguri with the home secretary, Basudeb Banerjee, who left for Calcutta today. Except yesterday, Lal Khoti has been wearing a deserted look since August 3 when the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha called an indefinite strike in the Darjeeling hills.

Lowis Jubilee, from where most of the office of the GTA operate, didn’t offer a different scene either. Even around 12.30 pm, the gates of Lowis Jubilee were not opened and no employee was seen around. Neither were any picketers.

The shutdown in the GTA offices, where the 6,000-strong employees owe their allegiance to the Morcha-affiliated Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan, has been complete even without any picketer.

Calcutta High Court had said yesterday that the people of Darjeeling “should not be harassed and steps should be taken against bandh supporters”. But the court order didn’t have any impact on the shutdown that entered its sixth day today hitting almost every institution in the hills.

The NHPC also bore the brunt of the bandh with its Teesta Low Dam power generating plant at Stage-III being shut since August 3. The 132MW project at Rambi has four units.

Sikkim notice

The Sikkim government has issued a notice urging all residents wanting to go to Siliguri to travel without fear, as they would be escorted along the route.

“All private vehicles, taxis and trucks are allowed and everyone is encouraged to join the convoys and proceed to Siliguri and travel back. They are requested not to worry about security which is being amply provided by the West Bengal administration and constantly monitored by the Sikkim administration,” said A.K. Singh, district collector (East).

Several petrol pumps in Sikkim are running out of stock as they procure petrol and diesel from Siliguri.

The government has also asked people to use their private vehicles as shared cars to avoid overcrowding in the SNT buses.

Today, some people allegedly hurled stones at a convoy travelling to Siliguri near Tar Khola on NH31A. No one was injured in the incident. Today, 274 Siliguri-bound vehicles were escorted from Rangpo.