Darjeeling: The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha on Monday threatened to renew its agitation for statehood in the Darjeeling Hills if the West Bengal government fails to
implement the Gorkha Territorial Administration by March 27.
"We would go for an agitation demanding a separate state if the government fails to implement the GTA by March 27, the deadline set for implementing the GTA by our (GJM) president Bimal Gurung," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told a news agency.
The GTA agreement, to set up a semi-autonomous
administrative body for the Darjeeling hills, was signed on
July 18, 2011 in the presence of Union Home minister P
Chidambaram, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and
Bimal Gurung.
Giri refused to comment on the six-month extension given
to the high powered territorial committee headed by Justice
(retd) Shyamal Sen to verify the GJM's demand for transfer of
additional areas from the Terai and Dooars to the jurisdiction
of the GTA.
When asked whether the GJM would accept the formation of
the GTA within the deadline (March 27) through election
without inclusion of additional areas from the Terai and
Dooars, Giri said, "It is upto the state government to decide
how it would implement the GTA".
Earlier, the GJM had maintained "No inclusion of lands
from Terai and Dooars, no election for the GTA".
GJM media secretary and Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur
Chettri said the party's central committee would hold a
meeting soon to discuss the issue of the extension given to
the Sen committee.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 30, 2012, 19:05