Binay to seek land rights to tea garden workers

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling: Binay Tamang said on Sunday that he would raise the issue of granting land rights to tea garden workers during the bipartite meeting with the state government in Siliguri on Tuesday.

"We will raise the issue of granting land rights to the tea garden and cinchona plantation workers. This is an important issue along with the issue of minimum wages for the tea garden workers," said Tamang, the rebel Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader and the chairman of the board of administrators to run the GTA.

More than 60 percent of the hill people reside in the tea gardens and the Binay-Anit Thapa camp of the Morcha is clearly looking at consolidating its rural base as residents of these areas do not have any land rights.

Recently, the state government had announced granting land rights to residents of Mirik civic area. A portion of Mirik civic area falls under a tea garden.

Tamang will be leading a six-member delegation at the bipartite meeting, which will include Anit Thapa, MLAs from Darjeeling and Kurseong, Amar Singh Rai and Rohit Sharma, Sanchabir Subba, member, board of administrators, GTA and Tshering Dahal.

"We will also raise the issue of forming subdivisions in Kalimpong district and also upgrading Bijanbari block into a subdivision. Other issues include bifurcating various blocks in the hills," said Tamang.

There are eight blocks in the GTA area.

Binay Tamang, who was not present at the public meeting at Darjeeling Motor Stand on Sunday, said: "The attendance at the meeting clearly suggests that the days of Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri are over."