GTA member to join TMC soon

Pramod Giri, HT, 2 Oct 2016, SILIGURI: If a section of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) sabhasads is accused of minting money through corrupt practices, Champa Bivar, another GTA sabhasad, portrays a contrasting picture.

Bivar, an adivasi, who was handpicked by the GJM to contest the GTA polls in 2012 from Sukna-Panighata constituency, is probably the most neglected and ignored GTA sabhasad.

She was never taken into confidence by the GTA and GJM leaders while carrying out different development works even in her own constituency. It is likely that she would be the second GJM sabhasad to quit GJM and join TMC. Sources said she would join TMC like the former GTA vice-chairman and GJM vice-president Bhupendra Pradhan.

Bivar said, “Forget about proposing and recommending development activities, even my only recommendation to give an ICDS job to a woman of my village was not honoured.”

The elected sabhasads are the policy makers in GTA and it is supposed that local sabhasads propose and recommend development works in the locality. But in case of Sukna-Panighata constituency which is in the Terai region of Darjeeling district, Bivar, the local sabhasad, was neither consulted nor was taken into confidence.

She was also never allowed to speak in GTA meetings held for more than 26 times in the past four years.

She said, “The GTA has failed miserably to carry out development works in Sukna-Panighata constituency and whatever little was done, I was never consulted.”

“I was kept in the dark while carrying out development works at Panighata High School, launching of PHE’s water project in Sukna and construction of Sukna High School,” she added.

She said how and to whom the contracts were awarded and who had recommended the development projects, she knows nothing. GJM and GTA did invite her for the inauguration of the development projects. But she was not allowed to speak a single word in the inaugural functions.

“Even during the distribution of 20 houses at Manju under GTA’s Hamro Ghar Project, I was not invited,” the sabhasad said.

All these years she tried to draw the attention of senior GJM leaders including Bimal Gurung, the party president and GTA chief executive. But the situation has hardly improved, she said.