Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders have demanded to speed up election to the four municipalities of Darjeeling to facilitate development work. GJM chief Bimal Gurung recently hinted at a public meeting that development works in the municipal areas has remained stalled for the last five years.
"Our party is serious about development in the Hills. Several development works have been hampered since election to the municipalities is still pending," said a senior GJM central committee leader.
The last election to the four municipalities was held in 2004. Then, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) had formed the boards. However, GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh took forward the demand for including Darjeeling under the sixth schedule of the Indian constitution. This stopped election to the civic body and also to the panchayat system.
However, after GJM came to power in 2007 with the separate Gorkhaland state demand, most GNLF leaders and commissioners had defected to the GJM. Since then, the four municipalities at Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik are run by a board of administrators headed by the sub-divisional officer.
"The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will take time to be fully functional. In the meantime, development must also take place simultaneously," asserted the leader.
GJM though has not yet given its consent to holding election to the two tier panchayat system in place in the Hills. A demand has been made by the party to create several blocks from the existing ones for people's convenience. "Some of the blocks in the sub-divisions are vast in areas. We want the government to create at least 24 blocks from the existing ones so that development schemes and facilities reach the remotest of areas," reasoned the central committee leader.
GJM wants the existing eight blocks to be bifurcated into 24 blocks. The demand is that three blocks are created from one block. At present, it is time-consuming and cumbersome for people to get work - like issuance of birth and residential certificates and old age pension - done at a panchayat office that is situated several kilometer away, complained another GJM leader.. GJM's contention is that people waste one whole day at the office and are also not sure if the work will be done and secondly it feels officials of panchayat offices will be less burdened.
The Hills has only the gram panchayat and panchayat samaity. A zilla parishad runs the sub-division of Siliguri in Darjeeling district. However, in the GTA Bill there is provision for a three tier panchayat system as demanded by GJM.
Meanwhile, a six member GJM team including the three Hills MLAs and central committee leaders today left for Sikkim, to meet chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and express their sorrow over the earthquake devastation and deaths.
-TOI
"Our party is serious about development in the Hills. Several development works have been hampered since election to the municipalities is still pending," said a senior GJM central committee leader.
The last election to the four municipalities was held in 2004. Then, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) had formed the boards. However, GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh took forward the demand for including Darjeeling under the sixth schedule of the Indian constitution. This stopped election to the civic body and also to the panchayat system.
However, after GJM came to power in 2007 with the separate Gorkhaland state demand, most GNLF leaders and commissioners had defected to the GJM. Since then, the four municipalities at Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik are run by a board of administrators headed by the sub-divisional officer.
"The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will take time to be fully functional. In the meantime, development must also take place simultaneously," asserted the leader.
GJM though has not yet given its consent to holding election to the two tier panchayat system in place in the Hills. A demand has been made by the party to create several blocks from the existing ones for people's convenience. "Some of the blocks in the sub-divisions are vast in areas. We want the government to create at least 24 blocks from the existing ones so that development schemes and facilities reach the remotest of areas," reasoned the central committee leader.
GJM wants the existing eight blocks to be bifurcated into 24 blocks. The demand is that three blocks are created from one block. At present, it is time-consuming and cumbersome for people to get work - like issuance of birth and residential certificates and old age pension - done at a panchayat office that is situated several kilometer away, complained another GJM leader.. GJM's contention is that people waste one whole day at the office and are also not sure if the work will be done and secondly it feels officials of panchayat offices will be less burdened.
The Hills has only the gram panchayat and panchayat samaity. A zilla parishad runs the sub-division of Siliguri in Darjeeling district. However, in the GTA Bill there is provision for a three tier panchayat system as demanded by GJM.
Meanwhile, a six member GJM team including the three Hills MLAs and central committee leaders today left for Sikkim, to meet chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and express their sorrow over the earthquake devastation and deaths.
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