All- party meet in Mamata hill trip

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT,  Darjeeling: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will hold an all- party meeting in Darjeeling during her visit to the hills next week.

" I have been told that the chief minister will convene an all- party meeting in Darjeeling on February 8, " Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief Binay Tamang said on Saturday.

Apart from Tamang's Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, representatives of the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League and Trinamul are likely to join the talks.

Three rounds of all- party meetings have been convened by the state government since the 104- day statehood agitation last year but these took place at Nabanna in Calcutta and Pintail Village near Siliguri.

Mamata will travel to the hills on February 6 for the first time in eight months during which period Tamang has emerged as the key leader of the Morcha.

" The last meeting was held at Pintail Village on November 21. Many of the issues we had raised have been addressed.

For example, two months salaries' of government employees have already come to the treasury, problems related to teachers have been solved and so on, " said Tamang.

" We have both administrative issues and political issues to raise during the meeting (next week), " Tamang added.

During the chief minister's visit, Rohini Road is likely to be renamed Subash Ghisingh Road after the GNLF founder.

While addressing a public meeting at Sukna on January 21, Tamang had announced that the road would be named after Ghisingh, adding that the culture of giving respect to political opponents for their good deeds must be ushered into the hills.

In the past, plaques carrying Ghisingh's name had been removed or smeared in various places after the GNLF leader was out of power.

Inaugurating a rain- water harvesting project in Darjeeling on Saturday, Tamang said the Rs 27- crore plan will target 3,000 poor households in Darjeeling.

The project is being funded by Nabard and is being executed by the state's municipal engineering department and Darjeeling municipality. " A survey is also be conducted for Kalimpong town, " said Tamang.