ST status work: '99 percent done' Darj MLA says PPS after state polls will be better

SNS, DARJEELING/SILIGURI, 21 DEC 20 : Darjeeling's BJP MLA Neeraj Zimba and All India Gorkha League (AIGL) leader Pratap Khati today claimed that work for granting Scheduled Tribe status to 11 Gorkha communities was almost complete and that the same will happen before the Assembly elections in the state.

Mr Zimba also said that 'Permanent Political Solution' (PPS) after theAssembly elections in the state in 2021 would be a better option than a PPS granted now.

"The process is almost complete and the 11 Gorkha communities will find themselves in the ST list through an enactment one fine morning before the Assembly polls," Mr Khati told The Statesman.

A delegation of Hill leaders representing different parties, including the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist and the AIGL today met Union Home Minister (HM) Amit Shah in Delhi, where the leaders said they discussed issues related to the Hills and promises made in the BJP's election manifesto.

"It was a follow up of the meeting we had with the Minister of State recently. The all-party delegation reminded the HM of the commitment the BJP had made in its manifesto, the issues of which he was aware of," Mr  Zimba said over the phone from Delhi.

The delegation of the BJP alliance parties from the Hills had met the MoS for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy on 17 December with issues mentioned in the manifesto like PPS and tribal status for the 11 communities.

"Regarding tribal status, 99 percent of the work has already been completed, but it has not seen completion due to a small technical clause. The home ministry is taking constitutional advice regarding it. The HM has assured that it could be granted any time," said Mr Zimba, adding that they have demanded that the same should be granted before the Assembly elections next year.

On the PPS, Mr Zimba said, "We feel that dialogues regarding it have already started in the last meeting with the MoS, and a step forward has been taken today. More meetings in this regard will be held in the future."

The MLA further maintained that they believed that they will have a different way of achieving their goals, for which modalities are being laid down.

"In 2021, we are almost sure that there will be a BJP government in Bengal. With the BJP at the Centre too, there will be an advantage when it comes to fulfilling the promises in the manifesto.The HM can do this now, but it will be better when it is done after the elections," he said.

Meanwhile, Darjeeling's MP Mr Raju Bista said that today's meeting with the HM was "very positive."

"All issues concerning Darjeeling and North Bengal region were discussed in depth. The Union Government is very positive towards providing a holistic resolution to issues plaguing our region, and the Sankalp Patra commitments will definitely be fulfilled in the days to come.