Bimal Gurung to visit Delhi soon to apprise PM

Bimal Gurung today said he will soon leave for Delhi to apprise the Prime Minister of water scarcity in the hill town and to talk to him about the proposal of a new water project.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief also said that he would go for a medical check up in the capital.

"I will be visiting Delhi soon. There is a huge scarcity of water in the hills. We plan to come up with a project to bring water from Srikhola, which will involve the use of gravity. I will meet Modiji with this proposal along with other senior functionaries in Delhi and also tell them about the water scarcity in the hills," Gurung said on the sidelines of an event to mark the International Yoga Day. Around 300 people took part in the programme.

It was not clear, however, if the hill leader has sought an appointment with the Prime Minister.

Today, Gurung also said that the tripartite meeting, which was scheduled to be held in the hills on June 23, had been postponed.

Darjeeling municipality supplies around 7-8 lakh gallons of water everyday while the hill town needs almost double the amount daily.

Although the Balasun water project, which is likely to bring relief to the hills, is about to be completed, Gurung is mulling on an alternative project through which, water would be brought from Srikhola, about 90km uphill from Darjeeling.

"I am also going (to Delhi) for medical treatment," Gurung said today.

His ailment was not immediately known. In the past, Gurung has had problems with his throat, sources said.

"I have directed the chairmen of the hill municipalities to look into the issue of water scarcity. There are many illegal connections because of which, common people are not getting enough water supply," Gurung said.

"Darjeeling municipality has already started disconnecting illegal lines and I appeal to the people to help them in this endeavour," he added.

On Friday, the civic body took up a drive to clean Darjeeling and it snapped several illegal water connections. The development came close on the heels of Gurung's "best ever" meeting with Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday.

After the meeting, the chief minister had said that they had discussed issues related to keeping Darjeeling clean and green.

Today, Gurung announced his plans to go to Delhi after following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's yoga session in New Delhi that was beamed live on an LED screen installed at the Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan here.

Darjeeling MP S.S. Ahluwalia was present at the screening.

Gurung said the meeting of the Centre, state and the GTA has been postponed. "The meeting was scheduled for June 23. I hope that the meeting will be held soon. I really do not know the reason why it was postponed," he said.

Gurung's announcement to meet to Modi comes at a time the CBI has named him and 22 others - almost all top-rung leaders in his party - in a chargesheet filed in connection with the murder of ABGL chief Madan Tamang.

The anticipatory bail hearing of the chargesheeted people is likely to be held on July 1.

The Telegraph