State makes two-tier GTA rural poi move; EC asks DMs to start work

The commission has also directed the officials to take up preparatory work for reservation of seats

SNS, SILIGURI, 29 AUGUST 2022 :  After conducting the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) elections, the state government has proposed conducting two-tier panchayat elections in areas falling under the CITA, comprising Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts.

The West Bengal State Election Commission said in a notification today that in consideration of the proposal of the Trinamool Congress-led state government on 26 August, it has directed District Magistrates of both Darjeeling and Kalimpong to start preparatory work for delimitation of the constituencies, and allocation and arrangements of serial number of seats for Gram Panchayats and Panchayat Samitis in the GTA area.

The commission has also directed the officials to take up preparatory work for reservation of seats.

It may he noted here that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during her recent visit to Darjeeling, had expressed her desire to conduct rural polls in the Hills.

Notably, rural elections in the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad for the Siliguri subdivision and elections to the GTA were held on the same day on 26 June this year. Significantly, a section of anti-Trinamool political parties have been demanding rural elections in the GTA for the Hill people, who they say have been deprived from their legitimate claims for the past many years. It may he recalled here that Hills voted in the two-tier rural elections after the for station of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) during the tenure of the late Subash Ghisingh. However, the then state government led by the Left Front could not hold such rural elections after that, as the then DGHC chief, Ghishingh, was against it, while he demanded inclusion of the area under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Though the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) was against the two-tier rural elections after it signed the GTA accord with the state and the Centre after Mamata Banerjee came to power in Bengal, party General Secretary Roshan Giri, in an administrative meeting held in Kurseong with Miss Banerjee recently, had appealed her to conduct two-tier rural polls in the interest of the Hill people. 

Many Hill- based political parties, who are still against the GTA, were in favour of rural elections "to ensure democracy".

Asked to comment on the matter, Darjeeling's BJP MP Raju Bista said: "I am happy to note that the WB Government has finally relented to the pressure from the Central Government, and is going to initiate the process of conducting two-tier panchayat elections-for Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti in Darjeeling and Kalimpong. 

"Prevalence of grassroots democracy is necessary to ensure provisioning of basic services ford our citizens, and now that our efforts since 2019 are finally bearing fruit, I thank the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India for their support towards ensuring grassroots democracy in our Hills," he added. 

"While we will continue to push for a three-tier Panchayat for Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, we welcome the decision to conduct the delimitation of areas for the Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti," he said. 

"Our rural regions have suffered massively in the absence of Panchayat, and I am most hopeful that people in our region too will finally get to enjoy the benefits of various rural development schemes initiated by the central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

I also want to assure the people that all the Sankalp Patra commitments made by our party will be fulfilled in a similar manner. Gorkhas will definitely get justice," Mr Bista added. 

A section of people have, meanwhile, started discussing that Kalimpong, being a separate district, is being deprived of three-tier rural polls and a constitutionally guaranteed body like Zilla Parishad because it is under the GTA. 

It may be noted here that GTA Chief Executive Anit Thapa had today written to Miss Banerjee and Bengal's Chief Secretary on 26 August, urging them to take measures for the conduct of panchayat general elections in the GTA.