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The Times of India
The Times of India
National
TNN

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee meets Hills leaders, says GTA polls will be held in May-June

DARJEELING: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday iterated after a meeting with representatives of Hills outfits that election to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration will be held in May-June.

"I am happy. And all the main political parties are happy. I congratulated the new chairman of Darjeeling municipality," she said after meeting leaders of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), Jan Andolan Party (JAP) and the newly formed Hamro Party at the government guest house in Richmond Hills.

The CM had discussed the GTA elections during an administrative meeting in Kurseong in October. She had then asked BGPM and GJM to submit a proposal for a "permanent political solution (PPS)", a long-standing demand of the Hills people.

Banerjee said all Hills parties other than GJM consented to the proposal of holding the GTA polls. "All parties other than GJM wanted to give us suggestions on GTA and other issues. They were of the view that elections should be held. We have to ensure that an elected body administers the council body," she said. She said like in other districts, Darjeeling and Kalimpong should also have a functional three-tier panchayat system. "If others have it, the Hills should also have it," Banerjee said.

Elections to the Hills panchayats and GTA are due for 20 and 5 years, respectively. These bodies are being run by state-appointed officers.

The Bengal CM announced the names of JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri and former MLA Rohit Sharma - now with TMC - as chairman of the District Primary School Board of Kalimpong and Darjeeling, respectively. "I spoke to Bratya Basu on this as a request had been made to us," she said.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said he had appealed to the CM to first resolve the PPS issue before going for the GTA polls. "The state government is in the mood to hold the GTA election. However, we have requested that let PPS be resolved first as GTA has become a failure," he said.

Giri added that GJM will organize a seminar in Kalimpong April 2 after which a draft proposal for PPS will be submitted to the Bengal CM. "The proposed PPS will be the highest form of autonomy, including the regions of Terai and Dooars, but within the state of Bengal," he said.

BGPM general secretary Amar Lama said his party had no issues and was eager to contest the GTA election. "There are several departments and a lot of GTA funds can be utilized for welfare of the people," he said.

After tasting victory in the first political outing, Hamro Party president Ajoy Edwards said it was important in diplomacy to have working relationship with the state government. "We placed before the CM various projects and proposals that we thought would be suitable for the Hills. The CM has assured to extend all support to us. We will also participate in all the elections," he said.

The parties placed a charter of demands to the CM that included among others waiving late payment surcharge of electricity bills during the statehood agitation from 2007 to 2011, providing jobs to Gorkhaland personnel and absorbing contractual GTA workers and teachers on contract. The CM may make some announcement at a public distribution programme at Chowrasta on Tuesday.

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