Tough Mamata in hills soft talk Development suffering: CM

Time to act

TT, Aug. 20: Mamata Banerjee today said development in the hills was “suffering” because of agitations and that political mandate “should be used for the benefit of the people”, the tenor of the comments contrary to the tough posture she had adopted after the statehood protests restarted.

Without naming the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the chief minister said in a Facebook post today: “I respect all my Darjeeling brothers and sisters. I am proud of them. But it is very unfortunate that instead of developmental works, that political party has resorted to agitational programme stalling the development process.”

Governor M.K. Narayanan today said on the sidelines of a programme in Calcutta that he was willing to “mediate” to end the impasse in the Darjeeling hills if he was asked.

In her Facebook post, Mamata wrote that in July 2011, an agreement was signed by the Centre, state and the Morcha to set up the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and thereafter, elections were held to the GTA Sabha.

“Breaking almost 20 years of non-development of the Hills, a new era of ushering peace and development in Darjeeling began,” she wrote.

The chief minister said because of agitations “every six months”, Darjeeling was suffering. “My government is fully committed to deliver services to the people of the Hills. Then why these agitational programmes every six months? Why this ‘political pollution’? As a result of it, development is suffering, people are suffering, Darjeeling is suffering.”

Mamata, who had earlier set a 72-hour deadline for the Morcha to lift its strike and threatened stern action, said today that funds had been sanctioned to the GTA so that the administrative body could function smoothly and effectively for the welfare of the people.

“Politics is fine. But it should facilitate development, not impede it. The political mandate is there. It should be used for the benefit of the people of Darjeeling. It should not harm them. The ongoing political gimmickry is harming everybody,” the chief minister wrote.

She said people in the hills were not being able to benefit from development schemes because of the agitation. She added students were being “forced to forsake” their studies.

“Some of the damage may be irreversible. Students may lose a year. NREGA funds may lapse. Tea exports from the Hills may fall and be possibly replaced by tea from other countries. Who is to be blamed?” Mamata asked.

Mamata, whose government had announced pay cuts for those employees not attending office during the recent phase of the agitation and arrested over 600 people for alleged violence, said she wanted to make Darjeeling a “dream destination”.