Binay calls on Mamata... appointment procedure of 313 volunteer teachers and 59 teachers of new set up schools likely to start from today.

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 08 Mar 2019, Darjeeling: Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa met chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna on Thursday. The leaders maintained that they discussed development projects in the hills but there was speculations that the visit had something to do with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Tamang-headed Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is a constituent of what is referred to by the party as the "third front". There is a buzz that the Morcha will joint fight the elections.

Asked about any political discussion, Tamang speaking over the phone said: "We met at Nabanna and in this office, politics is not discussed." Tamang said that discussions centered around three major development issues. "The state government has given its approval for setting up an IT Park in Kalimpong. I along with Darjeeling MLA, Amar Singh Rai and Kurseong MLA, Rohit Sharma will be in Kalimpong for an event related to IT Park," said Tamang.

The GTA chief also said that the state government would give its approval for regularization of jobs of 59 upper primary school teachers and 313 secondary teachers on Friday. "Apart from this we discussed the issue of granting recognition to 14 schools in the hills," said Tamang.

Chief minister, Mamata Banerjee will be visiting north Bengal from tomorrow. "It has been decided that Anit Thapa will be accompanying the chief minister to Jalpaiguri for the inauguration ceremony of circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court," said Tamang.

Observers, however, believe that during the Calcutta visit, the Morcha duo is expected to discuss the upcoming elections. Tamang has said that they would be fielding a son-of-the-soil candidate in the coming polls.