Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) suspends March 27 agitation

Darjeeling (WB): The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has decided to put on hold its agitation on March 27 following President Pratibha Patil's assent to the Gorkha Territorial Administration Bill.

"We are happy to hear about the presidential assent to the Bill. We express our gratitude to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her initiative to form GTA," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said.

Giri, however, said that the election to the GTA, when it is formed, would depend on the inclusion of 400 mouzas from the Terai and Dooars plains of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling district.

"The elections and the board formation would be pending until the state government clears the land stalemate issue," he said.

Putting the GTA implementation ball in the state government's court, Giri said, "The delimitation process could not be carried out until additional areas from the plains are included."

The Dooars lies on the foothills of the eastern Himalayas around Bhutan while Terai is the area near the Siwalik range, the lowest outer foothills of the Himalayas.

According to the agreement, the autonomous body of GTA would be a 45-member body whereas the current DGHC has 28 members.

PTI