After Partha Chatterjee's arrest, BJPwants CBI, ED to probe GTA corruption

EOI, DARJEELING, JULY 25, 2022: Following the arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee for his alleged involved in teacher recruitment scam, the Darjeeling district unit of the BJP has demanded probe by Central agencies in graft and corruption charges in Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. 

On Monday, the BJP (Darjeeling district) supporters pasted posters across the hill town with the demand for Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate probe. 

Darjeeling District BJP president Kalyan Dewan said for the past several years there were complaints of scam, corruption and nepotism in the GTA which needed to be investigated. 

The BJP leader said the Trinamool Congress- led State Government was responsible for the state of affairs in the GTA. 

"People are complaining about corruption and nepotism in the GTA. Trinamool has kept their stooges incharge of the council body, providing huge amount of funds. No audit has taken place. Huge amounts have been paid to contractors with no proper work to show. We demand Central agencies like the CBI and the ED investigate the GTA," he said. 

Former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar had been vocal against corruption in the GTA and before leaving office had assured of an audit of the funds received bythe GTA which he had termed as "a den of corruption, patronage and lacking accountability. 

"Vice president of Darjeeling district unit of BJP L. M. Lama said the West Bengal Chief Minister had herself acknowledged of scam and corruption in the hill council body. "The CM had recently said the State Government has provided Rs.7000crore over 10 years to the GTA. However, in ground reality, no work(development) has taken place. We feel that as long as the Trinamool Congress is in Bengal, the hills will remain deprived and suffer," he said. 

The BJP vice president said the CBI should investigate the GTA and throw light on the funds that had been misused for so many years. 

"We condemn any form of nepotism or scam in the education sector. We are sure there will be massive revelation if the Central agencies conduct probes in the functioning of the GTA. We will write to the Bengal government to demand Central agency investigation," said Lama. 

The BJP and its hill allies had boycotted the GTA election earlier in June, which the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) had won ,alleging the GTA was steeped incorruption and nepotism and had been rejected by the people