In meet with CM, Hill parties, save Morcha, give nod to GTA polls

SNS, DARJEELING. 28 MARCH 2022: Different political parties in the Hills met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here today, with most of them welcoming the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) elections planned for May-June. The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) led by Bimal Gurung, however, said it stressed on the need for a "political solution" for the Hills first, rather than the GTA elections.

Miss Banerjee arrived in Darjeeling yesterday evening on a three-day visit, and is staying at Richmond Hill, where the meetings were held today one after the other with leaders of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), GJMM, Hamro Party (HP), TMC (Hills) and Jan Andolan Party (JAP) leader Harka Bahadur Chettri.

Briefing the press after the meetings today, the CM said, "I met the main political parties in the hills today, and they are all willing for the GTA elections to be held, except the GJM, which has said they will give suggestions further. We also talked about the panchayat elections and the municipality elections in the rest of the hills. However, Darjeeling hills has only a two-tier panchayat system and not a three-tier one, which should be here as in the rest of Bengal."

The CM also maintained that the political parties told her that they will fully co-operate and want peace and development in the hills. "They also pointed out some local problems, which we discussed and if within two to three months the GTA elections are held, the elected representatives will take the responsibility to work for the people," said Miss Banerjee.

She added that a request for the chairmanship for the District Primary School Board had been made, due to which it was decided that JAP, leader Harka Bahadur Chettri would be made the chairman for Kalimpong district and TMC (Hills) leader Rohit Sharma for Darjeeling district.

Speaking about their meeting with the CM today, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said, "We told her that before the GTA elections, a political solution should be had for this place, along with the Terai and Dooars. We also informed her that on 2 April, we would organise a seminar on it, after which we will submit her a draft (of a proposed political solution). She has asked us to submit it as soon as possible. " GJM president Bimal Gurung was, however, not present in the meeting today. "We have also asked that the late fee surcharge of the electricity bills pending from 2007 to 2011 should be waived off. We also demanded that GLP and youths get work in home guard and police along with the recognition of the Ghoom-Jorebunglow College, for which she has asked us to send proposals," Mr Giri added. On the other hand, the BGPM said it took up different issues with the CM, including the three-tier panchayat elections, waiver of electricity bills not paid during the agitation period, making casual workers of the GTA permanent, formation of a regional subordinate selection board, regional school service commission and parja patta for cinchona workers, tea gardens workers and people living in the DI Fund area and municipality areas. "It was a good meeting, with her already having said in Siliguri that she wanted a three-tier panchayat and GTA elections. There is a provision under the GTA for a three-tier election and we also welcome the GTA polls as there are many departments in it with funds also being sanctioned. If an administrator is appointed, the people will suffer and we want to work for the benefit of the people," said BGPM general secretary Amar Lama who was part of the three-member delegation of their party that also included BGPM president Anit Thapa and Kalimpong MLA Ruden Sada Lepcha.

On the other hand, Hamro Party leader Ajoy Edwards said, After we formed the board in the Darjeeling Municipality, I came to meet the CM to introduce the new chairman and to talk to her about the various development projects of the municipality. The chairman and the CM had a talk on the various problems here and she has promised all help in the future. We are happy that Darjeeling will work with commitment from the government."

"She also mentioned there would be GTA elections, panchayat elections and municipality elections in the hills, and we have said that we are looking forward to them all. If the GTA elections are held, we will contest in all the 45 seats. We did not talk anything about politics as we feel that diplomacy will take our people forward. With our party member Ritesh being the chairman, we have to collaborate with the government as people have voted us for better civic amenities," he said adding that they will contest alone in the coming elections, as "diplomacy means we will not be puppets of anyone and will remain independent."