SILIGURI: Darjeeling hills enters into a new era of its administration on Saturday under Gorkhaland Territorial Administration(GTA), an autonomous body formed after years long uncertainty. The elected and selected members of its board will take the oath of office and start functioning in the new autonomous body with high financial and administrative power.
Dignitaries including Union Home Minister Mr. S K Shinde or West Bengal Chief Minister Miss Mamata Banerjee have already arrived the hill town to be present in the function.
"We are happy that finally Darjeeling is going to have a direction to peace and development," said Miss Banerjee.
GTA was first demanded by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha(GJM), the party that wants separate statehood for Darjeeling hills. After many political debates, finally GTA was agreed to be formed between union Home Minister, state Government and GJM in 2011 under strong persuasion by AITMC, the ruling party in West Bengal that had an election tie up with GJM in 2011 assembly election.
As per agreement, GTA will have 45 elected and 5 nominated members to utilize the fund received from state and center. The body will work with 50 departments under its jurisdiction. These include agriculture, education, food supply, forest, health, Municipal Corporation, Planning, sports or Tourism.
However, behind the common projection of GTA as the peace path for Darjeeling, there lies a layer of dark cloud of uncertainty. Though the CM said, "Formation of GTA will be the end of all trouble in hills and a new beginning towards overall development." But, "We are not giving up our separate statehood demand," said GJM General Secretary Mr. Roshan Giri keeping the spark alive that can take a shape of big fire in future.
Moreover, "We have never accepted the boundary set for GTA before finalization of its formation. But our leaders accepted it on their own interest to have power," said many hardcore GJM leaders in foothills hinting a possible inner party tussle on the matter in newer future.
Dignitaries including Union Home Minister Mr. S K Shinde or West Bengal Chief Minister Miss Mamata Banerjee have already arrived the hill town to be present in the function.
"We are happy that finally Darjeeling is going to have a direction to peace and development," said Miss Banerjee.
GTA was first demanded by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha(GJM), the party that wants separate statehood for Darjeeling hills. After many political debates, finally GTA was agreed to be formed between union Home Minister, state Government and GJM in 2011 under strong persuasion by AITMC, the ruling party in West Bengal that had an election tie up with GJM in 2011 assembly election.
As per agreement, GTA will have 45 elected and 5 nominated members to utilize the fund received from state and center. The body will work with 50 departments under its jurisdiction. These include agriculture, education, food supply, forest, health, Municipal Corporation, Planning, sports or Tourism.
However, behind the common projection of GTA as the peace path for Darjeeling, there lies a layer of dark cloud of uncertainty. Though the CM said, "Formation of GTA will be the end of all trouble in hills and a new beginning towards overall development." But, "We are not giving up our separate statehood demand," said GJM General Secretary Mr. Roshan Giri keeping the spark alive that can take a shape of big fire in future.
Moreover, "We have never accepted the boundary set for GTA before finalization of its formation. But our leaders accepted it on their own interest to have power," said many hardcore GJM leaders in foothills hinting a possible inner party tussle on the matter in newer future.
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