BGPM forms Kurseong Panchayat Samiti board

EOI CORRESPONDENT DARJEELING, AUGUST 14, 2023 : The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) on Monday formed the Panchayat Samiti Board in Kurseong and organized a victory rally and public meeting to commemorate the poll win. The BGPM formed the board in Kurseong by winning 23 seats out of 31 in the panchayat samiti. 

"From the nine panchayat samitis in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration area we have manged to form boards in eight panchayat samitis. In Kurseong we have also managed to win in all gram panchayats except in Chimney. This time we have won with ninety-nine percent votes. The way people voted for us shows their trust on our party," said BGPM president Anit Thapa. 

The BGPM had managed to form boards in six panchayat samitis out of nine, but with some winning candidates switching over to their party they could also form their boards in Gorubathan and Pedong in Kalimpong district. In Darjeeling, the four panchayat samitis where the BGPM has formed their board include Darjeeling- Pulbazar, Jorebunglow- Sukhiapokhri, Rangli Rangliot and Kurseong while in Kalimpong they have managed to form boards of panchayat samitis in Kalimpong 1, Lava along with Gorubathan and Pedong. 

However the BJP, the Gorkha National Liberation Front, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Hamro Party and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which had contested the election in an alliance under the banner of United Gorkha Alliance have formed the panchayat samiti board in Mirik. 

Speaking about why people voted for the BGPM, Thapa said: "We are fulfilling the promises we made like parja patta, DI fund and Development area and the return of the panchayat system in GTA area. Now what remains is parja patta in cinchona plantation for which we are talking with the government. 

As for the School Service Recruitment, the Bengal CM has already given her assurance that she will announce it in her next visit to the hills." Thapa alleged that the opposition political parties were trying to create obstacles and prevent the parjha patta (land right) from being implemented through vested political interests. 

"The government is giving homestead patta and people should accept it as they will get papers for their land. We are now raising the demand of agriculture patta. However the opposition parties do not not want our party to to flourish in the tea garden areas where people are accepting us," he said. 

The BGPM during the day took out a rally from the Motor stand till the Kurseong Block office where the oath- taking ceremony was held. 

Following that another rally was taken out and a public meeting was held in the Motor Stand area. Anu Chettri Pradhan was made the Kurseong Panchayay Samiti Sabhapati with Narayan Thapa being made the Upa Sabhapati.