Prod for GTA audit

TT, Calcutta, Oct. 5: The Bengal government has decided to expedite the special audit ordered into the financial activities of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration between 2014-15 and 2016-17, when the hill body was managed by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung.

Sources said the government's move - days after forming a board of administrators to run the GTA -could be attributed to two reasons.

First, if the audit team can prove the allegations of irregularities against Gurung and his associates, it will prevent them from attending the tripartite talks proposed by Union home minister Rajnath Singh.

Second, a charge of corruption will wane the influence of Gurung on the hill people and alienate him further.

"When the special audit was ordered in June this year, it was decided that the process would be completed within three weeks. But the audit team could not complete it because of several disruptions in the hills. Now that the government has announced a board of GTA administrators and employees have resumed duties, the audit would be completed soon," said a senior Nabanna official.

"Only filing cases against Gurung for the unrest during the strike wouldn't help. But if the government manages to prove the charges of corruption against him, his influence on the hill people will dwindle further," the official added.

According to officials in Nabanna, since Gurung took over as the chief executive officer of the GTA in 2012, a total of Rs 1,500 crore was sent to the hills for development projects, of which the Centre provided Rs 600 crore and the state the rest.

The GTA was formed under a tripartite agreement involving the state, Centre and the Morcha in 2012, Days before its tenure was to expire this year, the Morcha members of the GTA Sabha resigned en masse.

"We have a target to complete the process of auditing before Kali puja," said a source.