Kalimpong, Jan. 24: Hotels here
have been asked to pay their electricity dues accumulated during the
non-co-operation movement enforced by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha by
January 29, failing which their lines will be disconnected.
As part of the
non-co-operation movement from April 2008 to July 2011, the people of
the Darjeeling hills had been asked not to pay power and telephone bills
and sales tax. The notices to clear the dues were issued by the West
Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.
Sources said the
distribution utility had decided to realise the dues in the hills at a
meeting in Calcutta on December 26 last year. The power utility also
decided to accept payments in installments.
The Hotel and
Restaurant Owners’ Association of Kalimpong said each of its 45 members
had dues ranging from Rs 2 lakh to over Rs 5 lakh. “Our members have
received the notices from the electricity board in the last few days. We
are law-abiding citizens and prior to the agitation had always paid our
bills on time. It was at the call of the Morcha that we were forced to
stop paying our bills to extend our
support to the statehood agitation.
Now that we are being asked to clear the dues, the party must come to
our aid and settle the matter once and for all,” said the president of
the association, Sanjogita Subba.
Kalimpong MLA and
Morcha spokesman Harka Bahadur Chhetri said he would take up the matter
with the power minister in Calcutta soon.(The Telegraph)
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