DARJEELING|TOI: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Sabha on Friday adopted resolutions to take measures to protect the interest of different tribal communities living in the hills of Darjeeling. Among these is the formation of a Lepcha Development Board within the ambit of GTA.
The marginalized Lepcha community, the sons of the soil of Darjeeling, had been demanding for some time that a development council be formed to take measures for their protection. They had held agitations on several occasions, in Darjeeling as well as in Kolkata, in support of this demand.
Last year, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had agreed to set up a Lepcha Development Council and had obtained the stamp of approval of the state assembly.
"We have spoken to the Bengal CM and asked her to form the LDB within the GTA," GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung said after the meeting. The GTA Sabha would have no objection if the state government formed the LDB, it was stated.
The GTA Sabha adopted another resolution, approving the formation of similar development boards for other tribal communities in the Hills. "We do not want the other tribal communities in the Hills to feel discriminated and so have adopted this resolution to form boards like the LDB for them," Gurung said.
Communities like Tamangs, Sherpas, Bhutias, Limboos and Yolmos have a sizeable presence in Darjeeling.
The meeting which was attended by all the 50 members also adopted a resolution demanding tribal status for all the Gorkha communities of the Hills, leaving out the scheduled caste community. It was a part of the memorandum of agreement signed between Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and GTA.
Among the five resolutions adopted at the meeting, one was the demand for making Nepali the official language of use in all GTA offices. "We want Nepali language be made the official means of communication in the GTA offices," GTA Sabha chairman Bhupendra Pradhan said.
Nepali language has been included in the eight schedule of the Constitution in 1992. The state government has also made Nepali the official language for the three Hills sub-divisions.
"We want Nepali language to be used in practice in the offices unlike at present where Hindi, Bengali and English are the only languages," said Pradhan. Incidentally, Lepchas are also demanding protection to their language.
The GTA Sabha has also demanded inclusion of the other areas of Terai and Dooars in the GTA.
"We want the Terai and Dooars areas to be included in the GTA. Our demand has already been taken up by the state government who has formed a three-member verification committee," said Gurung. While GJM had demanded that 396 mouzas in the Terai and Dooars be included in GTA, the Justice Shyamal Sen committee had recommended for the inclusion of only five mouzas.
The fifth resolution adopted was distribution of the old age pension to senior citizens. "We will distribute Rs 500 per month to senior citizens who are above 70 years. But, those already getting pension from the state and central governments will not be eligible to receive them from the GTA," said Gurung. At present, the government provides Rs 1,000 to tribals and Rs 400 to non-tribal senior citizens.
The marginalized Lepcha community, the sons of the soil of Darjeeling, had been demanding for some time that a development council be formed to take measures for their protection. They had held agitations on several occasions, in Darjeeling as well as in Kolkata, in support of this demand.
Last year, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had agreed to set up a Lepcha Development Council and had obtained the stamp of approval of the state assembly.
"We have spoken to the Bengal CM and asked her to form the LDB within the GTA," GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung said after the meeting. The GTA Sabha would have no objection if the state government formed the LDB, it was stated.
The GTA Sabha adopted another resolution, approving the formation of similar development boards for other tribal communities in the Hills. "We do not want the other tribal communities in the Hills to feel discriminated and so have adopted this resolution to form boards like the LDB for them," Gurung said.
Communities like Tamangs, Sherpas, Bhutias, Limboos and Yolmos have a sizeable presence in Darjeeling.
The meeting which was attended by all the 50 members also adopted a resolution demanding tribal status for all the Gorkha communities of the Hills, leaving out the scheduled caste community. It was a part of the memorandum of agreement signed between Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and GTA.
Among the five resolutions adopted at the meeting, one was the demand for making Nepali the official language of use in all GTA offices. "We want Nepali language be made the official means of communication in the GTA offices," GTA Sabha chairman Bhupendra Pradhan said.
Nepali language has been included in the eight schedule of the Constitution in 1992. The state government has also made Nepali the official language for the three Hills sub-divisions.
"We want Nepali language to be used in practice in the offices unlike at present where Hindi, Bengali and English are the only languages," said Pradhan. Incidentally, Lepchas are also demanding protection to their language.
The GTA Sabha has also demanded inclusion of the other areas of Terai and Dooars in the GTA.
"We want the Terai and Dooars areas to be included in the GTA. Our demand has already been taken up by the state government who has formed a three-member verification committee," said Gurung. While GJM had demanded that 396 mouzas in the Terai and Dooars be included in GTA, the Justice Shyamal Sen committee had recommended for the inclusion of only five mouzas.
The fifth resolution adopted was distribution of the old age pension to senior citizens. "We will distribute Rs 500 per month to senior citizens who are above 70 years. But, those already getting pension from the state and central governments will not be eligible to receive them from the GTA," said Gurung. At present, the government provides Rs 1,000 to tribals and Rs 400 to non-tribal senior citizens.
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