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GJM leaders to meet Didi today with demand list
The top Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leadership would meet Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday “in order to discuss some pressing issues” that have cropped up in the wake of the signing of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration accord last July.
“The issues demand immediate attention of the Government as any further delay to address them would only drive the situation in the Darjeeling Hills out of control,” GJM convenor Roshan Giri said on Friday.
The GJM wants immediate implementation of the GTA accord “apart from other issues like the clearance of funds that was earlier promised by the Chief Minister for the quake-hit areas of the district.”
Banerjee who had been on a district-wise stock-taking mission and had visited Nadia a few days ago was in the midst of her North Bengal tour where she met the top officials of six districts on Friday.
GJM leader and party MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri said his party had waited for a long time for the Government to act and “it is not possible for us to give them more time because there is a tremendous groundswell.” The Chief Minister who has thus far enjoyed a good chemistry with the Hill outfit was likely to face some tough questions not only on the delay on implementation of the Accord but also the non-arrival of quake relief funds. “We will ask the Chief Minister as to why the funds have not arrived yet,” he said.
In fact Giri had recently met State Governor MK Narayanan with the demands asking him to prod the State Government to facilitate the implementation of the Accord.
The Saturday’s dialogue would come close on the heels of a strong statement issued by GJM chief Bimal Gurung a few days ago. He set March 27 as the deadline for the implementation of the Accord or I will tear off the treaty in front of the public after that date.”
A team of experts led by retired Justice Shyamal Sen has been working on the expanse of the GTA which would include 400 moujas of the adjoining Dooars and Terrain (the contiguous plains) much to the chagrin of the local Bengalis and the tribal outfit Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad.
In fact the ABAVP has decided to start a fresh movement reclaiming the lands that are currently with the now-defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. The DGHC once headed by its deposed chairman Subash Ghising will be replaced by a more powerful GTA.
The reason behind Gurung’s toughening stance is a recent clique called the Gorkha Task Force formed by five local parties including Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, the GNLF, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Gorkhaland Rashtriya Nirman Morcha and Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang.
The GTF have brought allegations of “corruption, betrayal and submission to the State Government” against the GJM which has put pressure on the bigger outfit which wants to get the GTA implemented quickly in order to silence its critics.
Meanwhile the Chief Minister on Friday inaugurated the Uttarbanga Utsav the North Bengal festival which would continue for seven days.
The top Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leadership would meet Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday “in order to discuss some pressing issues” that have cropped up in the wake of the signing of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration accord last July.
“The issues demand immediate attention of the Government as any further delay to address them would only drive the situation in the Darjeeling Hills out of control,” GJM convenor Roshan Giri said on Friday.
The GJM wants immediate implementation of the GTA accord “apart from other issues like the clearance of funds that was earlier promised by the Chief Minister for the quake-hit areas of the district.”
Banerjee who had been on a district-wise stock-taking mission and had visited Nadia a few days ago was in the midst of her North Bengal tour where she met the top officials of six districts on Friday.
GJM leader and party MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri said his party had waited for a long time for the Government to act and “it is not possible for us to give them more time because there is a tremendous groundswell.” The Chief Minister who has thus far enjoyed a good chemistry with the Hill outfit was likely to face some tough questions not only on the delay on implementation of the Accord but also the non-arrival of quake relief funds. “We will ask the Chief Minister as to why the funds have not arrived yet,” he said.
In fact Giri had recently met State Governor MK Narayanan with the demands asking him to prod the State Government to facilitate the implementation of the Accord.
The Saturday’s dialogue would come close on the heels of a strong statement issued by GJM chief Bimal Gurung a few days ago. He set March 27 as the deadline for the implementation of the Accord or I will tear off the treaty in front of the public after that date.”
A team of experts led by retired Justice Shyamal Sen has been working on the expanse of the GTA which would include 400 moujas of the adjoining Dooars and Terrain (the contiguous plains) much to the chagrin of the local Bengalis and the tribal outfit Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad.
In fact the ABAVP has decided to start a fresh movement reclaiming the lands that are currently with the now-defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. The DGHC once headed by its deposed chairman Subash Ghising will be replaced by a more powerful GTA.
The reason behind Gurung’s toughening stance is a recent clique called the Gorkha Task Force formed by five local parties including Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, the GNLF, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Gorkhaland Rashtriya Nirman Morcha and Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang.
The GTF have brought allegations of “corruption, betrayal and submission to the State Government” against the GJM which has put pressure on the bigger outfit which wants to get the GTA implemented quickly in order to silence its critics.
Meanwhile the Chief Minister on Friday inaugurated the Uttarbanga Utsav the North Bengal festival which would continue for seven days.
