Morcha hope in talks - Giri speaks of Centre instruction to state on departments

(From left) State home secretary Basudeb Banerjee, additional secretary, home

affairs (Centre-state relations) Anant Kumar Singh, and GTA executive Sabha 

member Roshan Giri in New Delhi on Thursday

TT, Darjeeling, Jan. 29: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today said the Centre had asked the Bengal government to stick to the provisions of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration memorandum of agreement and the Act to ensure that the hill body functioned autonomously.

A tripartite meeting between the Morcha, the state's and the Centre's representatives was held in New Delhi today, after which Roshan Giri, a GTA executive Sabha member, said over phone from Delhi: "The meeting has been fruitful. The Centre has made it clear that the state should stick to the provisions of the MoA and the GTA Act to ensure that the GTA functions autonomously."

Giri said that regarding the transfer of departments such as land and land reforms, tauzi, PWD, food and supplies, lotteries etc, Anant Kumar Singh, the additional secretary in charge of Centre-state relations in the Union home ministry, "has asked the Bengal government to ensure that it sticks to the MoA and GTA Act and to expedite all process to ensure that the hill body functions autonomously."

Union home ministry sources said the Bengal government had already transferred several departments to the GTA but were asked to explore the possibilities of transferring more areas to the hill body.

Giri said that it was decided that the state government would form a committee to frame the rules and regulations of the GTA.

About this, the source in the Union home ministry said the committee would necessarily deal with capacity building within the GTA on how to run business.

Every administration or elected body has rules of business for which training is imparted in any new body.

The source said the bestowing of Scheduled Tribe status on some of the hill groups was also among the issues discussed at the meeting.

"They have been asking for ST status from time to time and we have sent a proposal to the Registrar General of India for that," said an official.

Giri, too, spoke about the ST status demand. "We also raised the demand for granting of tribal status to the 10 hill communities and we were informed that the file had reached the registrar-general of India's office. The development seems positive," the Morcha general secretary said.

Regarding the transfer of mouzas from the Terai and Dooars, the Morcha has been asked to send its grievances in writing to the state government.

"With regard to transfer of reserve forests to the GTA, we were informed that the ministry of environment and forests has made a note on the issue and this would be forwarded to the GTA soon," said Giri.

During the meeting it was revealed that the Centre had so far released funds to the tune of Rs 315 crore to the GTA. "Of this, the GTA has spent Rs 240 crore," Giri said.

The Morcha also claimed that the state government had informed its leaders that a draft to set up a Subordinate Selection Board (for recruitment in the GTA) had been forwarded to the Public Service Commission for its views. "A draft on the setting up a separate School Service Commission has also been sent to the state education department. We are also working for setting up a separate College Service Commission and a regional pension and provident fund office, as has been agreed in the GTA agreement," Giri said.

The Morcha leaders said the Centre had assured them that the process of implementing the three-tier panchayat system would be expedited. A constitutional amendment is needed to implement the three-tier rural system in the hills.

"The state government has also been asked to look into the issue of withdrawing cases (except those of murder) slapped against the statehood agitators. The state government has been asked to complete the process within two months," Giri said.

The Centre has reportedly told the state government and the GTA to explore the possibility of filling up vacancies in the GTA where sanctioned posts are lying vacant and where reservations policies have to be adhered to.

The Morcha today demanded a one-time financial aid of Rs 170 crore to set up a GTA secretariat, quarters and other infrastructure. Giri said the Centre had asked the state to "examine" the proposal.

"We have also demanded that the Darjeeling Mail should start from Gulma railway station near Sukna, and the setting up of a central university and hospitality management institute in the GTA area," Giri said.

The Morcha delegation had Trilok Dewan, the Darjeeling MLA and Barun Roy, Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner who has currently taken up additional charge as principal secretary of the GTA, and Don Bosco Lepcha, the GTA secretary.

"The Centre was represented by Anant Kumar Singh, the additional secretary, home affairs (Centre-state relations), A. Jain, director (Centre-state relations) and other joint secretaries. The Bengal government was represented by home secretary, Basudeb Banerjee, additional secretary (hill affairs) P.N. Bhutia, R.D. Meena, the resident commissioner, and Puneet Yadav, district magistrate of Darjeeling," said Giri.