GJM (Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) leader Roshan Giri met state home secretary G D Gautam

KOLKATA: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Roshan Giri met state home secretary G D Gautam at Writers' Buildings on Monday and discussed the first steps towards making Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in Darjeeling functional. There were also discussions on setting up of an administrative complex, a secretariat and staff quarters.at a meeting with West Bengal home secretary G. D. Gautama at Writers' Buildings in Kolkata on Monday discussed the first steps to make Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in Darjeeling functional, the setting up of an administrative complex, a secretariat and staff quartes.
Giri later said that a detailed meeting was held on the functioning of the proposed GTA. With the GTA Bill having been passed in the assembly with the necessary amendments, GJM leaders were now getting ready to make GTA functional.
"We are preparing For that we are getting ready and preparing the required infrastructure for functioning of the GTA," he said. Only a formal nod from GJM president Bimal Gurung was now awaited.
For proper implementation of different clauses of the memorandum of agreement signed between GJM, the state government and the Centre, a series of talks with Kolkata and Delhi would now be necessary. In Monday's discussions, the possibility of appointment of members of th GJM's youth brigade in the state police and the army were discussed.
Giri discussed with the home secretary also about setting of the three-tier panchayat system in the hills and how the panchayats would function to accelerate development. Panchayat bodies in the hills had turned defunct since 2004 as there was no election. Moreover, the panchayat system in the hills was a two-tier one, with gram panchayats and panchayat samities but no zilla parishad. Till now, the outgoing Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was functioning also as the zilla parishad.
Giri discussed the issue of giving proper status to scheduled tribes in the hills, as there was a sizeable tribal population. Giri said that scheduled castes should also get their dues., he said.
GJM leaders would soon hold a meeting with the Backward Classes Commission so that people of backward classes had better opportunities. An official said in the hills about 30 per cent of the population were tribals and about 18 per cent were scheduled castes.
The task of delimitation of constituencies for holding the GTA elections would also have to be taken up. While the state government wants the process of holding the elections and the survey for inclusion of additional areas in Dooars and Terai to continue as parallel processes, GJM wants the elections to be held after completion of the process of inclusion of new areas. Giri refused to comment on the progress in inclusion of Dooars and Terai areas to GTA, saying that a high power committee for identification of areas was doing its job.
-TOI