The committee has been constituted to consider the Morcha’s demand for the inclusion of Gorkha-dominated areas in the Dooars and the Terai in the proposed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
Anil Verma, administrator of the DGHC and the convener of the committee, said: “It has been decided that the panel will hold its first meeting in Calcutta on August 30. Since it has been agreed that the committee will frame its own rules and regulation for its functioning, there is hope that efforts will be made in this regard at the first meeting.”
The decision to hold the meeting comes at a time a section of Morcha leaders started feeling “uneasy” about the lack of progress in the work of the 10-member committee although the state government had appointed a retired high court judge Shyamal Sen as the chairperson.
While the Morcha will be represented by four leaders in the verification committee, the district magistrates of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling and an official of the home department will be government members. The Centre will be represented by the director of the census. As the convener, Anil Verma will conduct the meeting and co-ordinate with the members.
As the JVC is yet to get down to work, the formation of the GTA might be pushed back as the Morcha has made it clear that elections to the new body should be held only after the committee submits its report.
The Morcha believes the government might not place the GTA bill in the current Assembly session. “We are getting a feeling that the state government might not place the bill in the current session. They might do so in the winter session,” said a Morcha leader.
Some Morcha leaders are also apprehensive that the government is not comfortable with the transfer of the lucrative forest department to the GTA. “Even though the government has agreed to hand over all wings of the forest department (the issue regarding the handing over of reserved forests has been referred to the Centre), the authorities might be having second thoughts on the issue now. We are, however, closely monitoring the state government’s moves,” said a Morcha leader.
The other issue, which the Morcha believes could delay the placing of the bill in the Assembly in the ongoing session, is the “double standard” of a section of tea planters.
“The planters are telling us that they are happy that the tauzi department has been transferred to the GTA. But we are getting a feeling that they are sending their representatives to their contacts in the state government with a different take on the issue and are maintaining double standards. However, we have not yet got any concrete proof on this,” said the leader.
The bill has to be passed by the Assembly to put in place the GTA. The CPM has already cried hoarse over the GTA agreement, saying many of its provisions are unconstitutional.
“How can they have a three tier panchayat system for the GTA area without a constitutional amendment? The issue of territory will stir the hornet’s nest. The agreement is contradictory to the present state government’s stand as it talks about setting up a special economic zone,” said CPM leader Asok Bhattacharya.
Bhattacharya also wanted to know the logic of the refusal to provide legislative powers to the new body. “The Morcha had demanded such powers. The Centre and our government had agreed upon them. However, no such provision has been given to the GTA in the agreement, which is a letdown for the people of the Darjeeling hills.”
The Morcha has said it does not want to set up the GTA by amending the Constitution of India as that would be deemed as a permanent settlement. Without a constitutional recognition, the body cannot have legislative powers on transferred subjects.
VIVEK CHHETRI
TT
Post a Comment
We love to hear from you! What's on your mind?