Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee on Friday asserted that elections would be held in
Darjeeling with the setting up of the new hill council Gorkha
Territorial Administration, but the GJM was not willing to
concede it.
"GTA agreement has been made and election will be held in
accordance with it," she told reporters at the state
secretariat.
President Pratibha Patil recently gave assent to the
Gorkha Territorial Administration Bill for establishment of
the hill council.
GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri, however, said that his
party was sticking to its demand that it would not participate
in elections till areas in the Dooars and Terai in the plains
were added to the jurisdiction of the GTA.
"We cannot go for election till the added areas in Dooars
and Terai are included in the GTA. We urge the chief minister
to find a way. Till that does not happen let the GTA be a
nominated body or an interim set up," Giri told PTI from
Darjeeling.
Giri wanted inclusion of 400 mouzas from the Terai and
Dooars in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts.
According to the agreement, the autonomous GTA would be a
45-member body in comparison to the 28 members of the current
Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 09, 2012, 21:00