GJM bags more riches for Hills

Sat Jul 16 2011: Even though the GJM had to settle for an arrangement very close to the previous one — Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council — it has managed to secure a quantum jump in the financial package as offered by the Central government. According to the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has been allotted a financial package of Rs 600 crore in three years. The GTA will be given Rs 200 crore per year for the next three years. After three years, the government will review and revise the package.
The GJM had sought a package of Rs 1,000 crore for five years.
In contrast, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) was entitled to get a grant of Rs 30 crore per year. “We have been able to achieve almost 70 times greater package then what the GNLF got for the people of the Hills. Moreover, the grants for every department in the DGHC has to be proportionate with planned budget of the state for that department. But we do not have any such restriction. We can make our own budget for our departments,” said a member of the GJM study forum who has been associated with the negotiations. 
The GJM had demanded that the election for the GTA should be held under the purview of the Election Commission of India. However, the draft agreement states that the state election commission will conduct the polls.
While the DGHC had 30 departments that did not include important ones like land and land revenue and tourism, the GTA will have 64 subjects, which will be clubbed into several departments. 
The GTA, however, will have no legislative powers. “The state cannot delegate legislative power without a constitutional guarantee to a local body. But the GTA can frame rules and regulations according to the requirements of the hills,” said GJM sources.
In addition, the GTS will have power of recruiting group B, C and D staff, which the DGHC lacked. Moreover, the GTA is entitled to have its own offices of provident fund and insurance and separate school and college service commissions.