Morcha advised not to conducted 3-tier Panchayat poll without Siliguri

The 3-tier Panchayat election in the hills should not be conducted without being Siliguri included”, educationist, PR Pradhan has recommended to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).Pradhan, who has also held the post of Zilla Panchayat President from 1978-84, today notified that Siliguri is very much a part of the Darjeeling District. But after the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), after the 1986 agitation, Siliguri was amended under the State’s Panchayat Law and further, a separate Sub Division Council was formed.Now, the question lies, will a different law will be implemented in the Darjeeling District, while 3-tier elections are conducted in other Districts under the country’s Panchayat Law.However, Pradhan said that leaving the Siliguri Corporation area, other areas can be included and the election can be conducted. But, if only the hills are taken then Siliguri should be separated and the 3 Sub Divisions of the hills should be declared as Districts, then only can the 3-tier election happen, he told.He alleged that the politicians of West Bengal had beforehand planned to form a separate District by taking few areas of Siliguri and Jalpaiguri. “Many questions arise during the MP and the State Assembly elections. Then why there is no questions regarding the Panchayat polls?” questioned Pradhan and added that this clearly show that some hitches are there and thus, it needs to be stopped before it’s too late.It may be mentioned that historically, Siliguri is a part of Darjeeling. The area used to be some parts of Sikkim and Bhutan before it was by the Britishers.If the election is to be conducted taking Siliguri, then the Siliguri Sub Division Council needs to be dismissed.“It has been a great and a historical mistake by Subash Ghising by leaving Siliguri, due to which at present the problems are arising”, said Pradhan and advised the Morcha not to repeat the same.

By Mukesh Sharma