Gurung to extend walk to plains

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Oct. 4: Bimal Gurung has decided to extend his ongoing padayatra to cover more areas in the hills as well as Siliguri and the Dooars in two new phases.

According to the original plan, the procession was to end at Darjeeling on October 7.

However, Binay Tamang, the assistant secretary of the Morcha, today said the party president would again start marching after a gap of one day. "From October 9, Bimal Gurung will start the padayatra from Darjeeling once again and this time, he will go to Kurseong and then proceed towards Sukna from Tindharia area. He will then walk to Panighatta and climb up to Soureni to reach Mirik," said Tamang.

After completing the second phase of the march at Mirik, Gurung will go to Siliguri and the Dooars. "The march to Siliguri and the Dooars has been lined up for the third phase. However, we cannot tell you the dates as it would depend on the days required to complete the second phase of the march," said Tamang.

Gurung's decision to extend the procession effectively means that he won't be attending the GTA chief executive's office for almost a month, said party sources. "Important GTA files will be signed wherever Gurung is during the march. This is what Gurung has told us," said Tamang.

The plains in the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts have 398 mouzas which the Morcha wants to be brought under the GTA.

Gurung and his supporters had started the march from Kalimpong on October 2. The walk was launched in the wake of resignation of Harka Bahadur Chhetri and Trilok Dewan from the Morcha. The duo had questioned the Morcha leadership's style of functioning and said Gurung was acting in a dictatorial manner.