Darjeeling crisis: BOA takes charge of GTA

MP |  25 Sep 2017: Darjeeling: The Board of Administrators (BOA) took charge of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in Darjeeling on Monday. 

"Our priority will be a corruption-free GTA along with good governance," stated Binay Tamang, Chairman, BOA, GTA. The focus of the board will be on health, education, tourism, water and infrastructural development. "However, we will not take up any projects to build new roads initially. First, the incomplete projects will be addressed and the roads that are in poor condition will be repaired. Then only we will take up new projects. 

However, communication and connectivity will have to be developed," added Tamang. 

There were two back-to-back meetings held. First, the BOA met which was followed by the meeting of the BOA with the GTA departmental heads and executive directors. 

The departmental heads have been asked to prepare a list of all assets under the GTA. They have also been asked to prepare a detailed report of damages (total and partial) to all GTA properties during the past 103 days of agitation and bandh. There have been widespread incidents of arson and vandalising during the agitation in which properties owned by the state as well as the GTA have been damaged.