Darjeeling, March 16, 2012

A Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM)team on March 16 will meet West Bengal’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Terai-Dooars issue.

The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) is firm on their stands on the inclusion of Terai-Dooars under the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) but the West Bengal government on the other hand has said that no moujas of Terai-Dooars will be added and the election of GTA will roll in within two months.

The elections will be held simultaneously in the state and the hills. The reports of the high power committee have been kept aloof.

The GJM have been threatening that unless and until the inclusion of 396 moujas of Terai-Dooars under GTA is not done, the election is impossible. The GJM will be starting a fresh movement for Gorkhaland if the above mentioned demand is not met. Cementing the demand the GJM every Sunday has been executing rallies in the hills. Presently, the outcome in future remains opaque.

The GTA agreement which was signed on July 18, 2011 finally got its assent from the president on March 7 and now prior to its implementation, it remains litigious. The GJM earlier signing the agreement had demanded the inclusion of Terai-Dooars, but it is clear that the state government has sidelined the demand. The chief secretary of West Bengal Samar Ghosh on Tuesday has already stated that no moujas will be included and GTA neither has the power to administer it.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri on the other hand said that without the inclusion of the above mention moujas the election will not action. Commenting on the Ghosh statement, he said that until and unless the inclusion of Terai-Dooars, the formation of GTA board is beyond the bounds of possibility. It was also agreed during the agreement to extend the constituency to 45, from 28 placed under Darjeeling Hill Gorkha Council, but the state government has not been clear on this too, he said.

Concluding he said that a team on March 16 will meet chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

 

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