Gorkhaland Territorial Administration to be complete once Terai and Dooars included : Gurung

Siliguri, Jul 19 : Within 24 hours of the signing of the tripartite agreement among the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Centre and West Bengal government, GJM president Bimal Gurung today said the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) would remain incomplete without the inclusion of Dooars and Terai into its juricdiction.Addressing a meeting at Pintail village, the GJM supremo also said they had not budged an inch from their Gorkhaland demand. Asked why he did not object when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ruled out a separate state for Gorkhas, the GJM supremo said, '' The Chief Minister being a head of a state and of a ruling party has some compulsion, but she is with us. '' Mr Gurung said the territory of the Dooars and Terai must come under the GTA, though a committee had been set up by the government to study this aspect.
He also said once the GTA was formed, he would not hold any post there, adding he might think of the post when the statehood would be achieved.
He said there was huge upbeat in the GJM leaderships for having the GTA pact signed, saying this was a first step towards achieving the main goal of Gorkhaland.
He also snubbed the critics, especially, the previous CPI(M)-led Left Front government, for lingering so many years for a settlement of Darjeeling.
He said the previous government wanted to keep problem intact in the hills for vested interests and hailed the Mamata Banerjee government for taking active part in solving the Darjeeling impasse.
Earlier, Ms Banerjee in a programme at Siliguri today said the government had increased financial assistance to Rs 200 crore from Rs 20 crore, granted by the previous LF government.

She said progress for both plains and hills would be made simultaneously in North Bengal.

Ms Banerjee alleged that the previous Left Front government had failed on all fronts during its 34-year regime and no development took place across West Bengal.

Accusing the Leftists of creating obstacles in the present developmental process, she thundered, '' There will be no compromise on development. Don't play with fire. All the evil tactics to stop development will be fought politically. ''

--UNI