Police Bn proposal 'vote bait', says Bista

While I welcome any and all announcements for employment generation in West Bengal, I can sense panic gripping the TMC and them desperately trying to clutch at straws 

MANAS R BANNERJEE, SNS, SILIGURI, 12 NOVEMBER 20 : Darjeeling MP Raju Bista today termed the state government's decision to introduce three more battalions in the Bengal Police as 'vote bait'.

On the other hand, leaders of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha. Binoy Tamang and Anit Thapa have thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the same and said it would open doors for employment of 1,000 Gorkha youths.

Interestingly, following Mr Tamang's post on Facebook about the same, some users left their comments and asked Mr Tamang to beware of the proposal for the new Gorkha Battalion in the police.

"Today, youths in Bengal, particularly so from North Bengal, do not have any avenues open to them for employment in government sector due to deliberate malice, apathy and discriminatory policies of the TMC government. Thus, their desperation in announcing these new police battalions is nothing but vote bait and reeks of hypocrisy of the highest order," Mr Bista, meanwhile, said. "While I welcome any and all announcements for employment generation in West Bengal, I can sense panic gripping the TMC and them desperately trying to clutch at straws to save themselves from drowning under their own tides of incompetence, corruption, nepotism and mis-governance," he added.

He also claimed that the TMC was making announcements for political gains in the upcoming elections. "Their announcement of "Narayani Battalion, Gorkha Battalion and Jangal Mahal Battalion" is done with a view to garnering votes and not out of their desire for the overall wellbeing of the people," he said.

According to him, the TMC has put West Bengal on the verge of Bankruptcy. "In February of 2020 itself, West Bengal's total outstanding debt had risen to Rs 4.75 lakh crore TMC has incurred mom than double the debt in the past nine years, than what the CPIM had done in 34 years of their misrule. Because of which,TMC-led government is unable to pay the salaries of government servants on time," Mr Bista said.

"While rest of India is paying the 7th Pay Commission-recommended salaries, WB government is just about managing to pay at the 5th Pay Commission rates. Government servants under the WB government are suffering due to double jeopardy as the cost of thing has risen sharply while their salaries have declined relatively," he said.

On the other hand, Mr Tamang said: "This battalion opens up a new opportunity for our Gorkha youths. We are really grateful to the CM and would like to thank her for her thoughtful gesture.This is one of the big achievements of the West Bengal government under her leadership."

However, one Facebook user, Yuaraj Shahi Thakuri, commented that there were already three battalions of the Gorkha-EFR, but that recruitment for the same had stopped during the Mamata Banerjee regime.

Similarly, one Nabin Tamang said: "I know this is like GLP and it is trying to divert Gorkhas' mind. Be careful guys, making us fool instead of giving Gorkhaland, even there is a Gorkha battalion those who are now protecting our country."

On this, Mr Bista said that one of the oldest paramilitary forces, the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) founded in 1907, was about to become defunct under the TMC regime. "I had highlighted this issue in August 2020, how the Mamata government has stopped fresh recruitment in the EFR, which mostly saw Gorkhas, Rajbangshis and Adivasi youths getting recruited."