GTA to get new CEO tomorrow

ENS, Kolkata, 5 November 2013: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will elect a new chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) —- an elected council for the Darjeeling hills on November 6 as Benoy Tamang, who was elected to the post on September 27 could not take oath within the mandatory one-month period.

"The election to elect the CEO of the GTA will be held on November 6 and the name will be announced the same day," said Harka Bahadur Chetri, GJM MLA.

The GJM central committee, which met Sunday, is said to have decided to propose the name of Ramesh Alley, the deputy chief executive of the GTA, for the CEO's post. Alley has been working as the caretaker CEO as Tamang failed to take oath to the post that turned vacant after GJM chief Bimal Gurung resigned on July 29 demanding separate Gorkhaland.

Tamang, a trusted associate of GJM chief Bimal Gurung, was arrested in August during the indefinite stir by the party for a separate Gorkhaland. He is still in judicial custody. According to the GTA agreement, if the elected CEO does not take oath within a month, the government will hold fresh elections for the post.

The move to elect the new CEO comes after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on October 25, directed a GJM delegation, led by party Chetri and general secretary Roshan Giri, to elect a new chief executive of GTA at the earliest.

GJM chief Gurung has already said that does not want to to be the CEO of the hill body, which has 50 members: 45 of them elected and the rest nominated.