CM LEAVES KALIMPONG... GJMM gears up for Hills strike.... Calcutta High court team inspects for District Session Court

SNS, Siliguri 24 Sept: After a war of words with the GJMM and the GTA. chief minister Mamata Banerjee today left Kalimpong for Kolkata, without saying any­thing else. 

Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) president Bimal Gurung, chief of the Gorkhaland Terr­itorial Administration (GTA) me­anwhile. is scheduled to hold a meeting in Kalimpong tomorrow. 

Significantly, just when hun­dreds of people from the hills, including GJMM leader Jiten Tamang from Bijanbari in Darjeeling joined the Trinamul Congress in Kalimpong today, extending hands to PWD minis­ter Aroop Biswas. more than 270 local leaders belonging to Trinamul, GNLF and other politi­cal parties joined the GJMM at Dudhia in Kurseong sub division this evening. 

The GJMM has also decided to continue this programme to bring back their supporters from other political parties. including TMC on the issue of statehood. 

Hundreds of people from Dudhia. Garidhura, Mahanadi and the adjoining tea plantation areas joined the GJMM today.

At a time when Trinamul Congress activists have started informing people about the all­otment of Rs 4,719 crore, including MGNREGS, RIDF and PMGSY for Darjeeling (within GTA area) the GJM leaders have started  to prepare to observea 12 hr bandh in the hills on 28 September protesting against the Chief Minister's "lie" of having allocatted Rs. 4000 crore to the GTA over the last four years.

Tshering Dahal, GJMM Women's wing leader  in the Terai said, " A 12 hr bandh is not enough to protest against a lie. We need to file a defamation suit against the chief minister for misleading the people here." 

Another senior GJMM leader Anek Thapa said: We are 100 per cent determined to observe the bandh on 28 September. People, who were not our sup­porters, are also coming forward to join my party following Bimal Gurungs call for Gorkhaland movement". 

Nonetheless to counter the GJMM following instruction from the CM, PWD minister Aroop Biswas held a meeting with the Hills party leaders in Kalimpong today and asked. them to substantiate the chief minister's statement of fund allotments, sources said. 

According to sources, the Gorkhaland Territorial Admini­stration (GTA) secretary was as­ked yesterday to prepare a report on the funds received in last four and half years. 

After Mr Biswas left Kalimpong, state law minister Moloy Ghatak today visited the town along with a team from Calcutta High Court comprising the Zonal Judge, Justice Mr Joymalya Bagchi. Registrar (Inspection – II) Calcutta High Court Rabindranath Samanta and Judicial secretary Mr Paban Mandal to take stock of the infrastructure for the proposed separate Kalimpong district. Justice Bagchi will prepare a report on the proposed District Sessions Judge Court in line with the state governments proposal for a separate district.