Four senior leaders quit Binay Tamang camp: They said Kalimpong MLA Ruden Sada Lepcha and few were running the party as a “company” and the funds for the constituency were diverted to the legislator’s area

(From left) Norden Lama, Bhuwan Kanal, Pravin Rahpal and Saran Pradhan  in Kalimpong on Friday.: Telegraph picture

Vivek Chhetri   |   TT  |   Darjeeling   |   03.07.21: Four senior leaders of the Binay Tamang camp of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha resigned from the party on Friday but not before opening a can of charges of corruption running into crores of rupees.

Vice-president Norden Lama, central committee members Bhuwan Kanal and Pravin Rahpal and office secretary of the Kalimpong district committee Saran Pradhan held a media conference to announce their resignations.

The allegations levelled by the quartet ranged from corruption of crores of rupees by party leaders, collection of 7 per cent of every government project’s cost as commission to centralisation of power and lack of discipline in the faction and nepotism by leaders in teachers’ appointment.

“Till December 2020, Kalimpong received funds to the tune of Rs 700 crore but the media can check whether works amounting to even Rs 7 crore have been properly executed,” Pravin Rahpal said at the press meet in Kalimpong.

He also alleged that many in the Tamang camp were unaware of the utilisation of Rs 30 crore the party had allegedly collected as commission.

Lama, however, clarified that the total funds raised by the party would stand at Rs 49 crore given that it collected 7 per cent as commission from government projects.

“Of the 7 per cent, the central committee of the party takes 5 per cent, while 2 per cent goes to the samasty (GTA constituency) committee of the party,” alleged Rahpal.

Morcha leaders were also accused of nepotism in the teachers’ appointment by putting pressure on “headmaster and headmistress.”

The Tamang camp of the Morcha has been out of power at the GTA after the Bengal Assembly elections. The four leaders, however, said they had aired their grievances in the past one year but those hadn’t been addressed.

The quartet said Kalimpong MLA Ruden Sada Lepcha and few were running the party as a “company” and most of the funds for the constituency were diverted to the legislator’s area.

The other grievance seems to be the “autocratic” way of running the party and overlooking senior leaders in decision making.

Recently, party president Binay Tamang had dissolved many committees and restrained leaders from speaking to the media.

Tamang said he had come to know about the resignation through the media.

“I have not received any resignation letter. It is easy to level allegations but one should back them with proof and take legal recourse,” said Tamang. “When you point a finger at someone, you should realise that three fingers are pointing at you.”

The GNLF’s Darjeeling branch committee president Ajoy Edwards said the “commission” issue raised by the four leaders was shameful for the Morcha. “In this time of Covid-19, to hear leaders speak that 7 per cent was the rate of commission is really disheartening.”

“To be a member of the political fraternity in the Darjeeling hills is turning out to be shameful,” he added.

(Courtesy & source: https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/four-senior-leaders-quit-binay-tamang-camp/cid/1821022)