CPI-M accuses Mamata of political dishonesty she had made contradictory statements to the people of the hills and the plains

Kolkata, Oct 14: The Communist Party of India-arxist (CPI-M) Friday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "political dishonesty", saying she had made contradictory statements to the people of the hills and those in the plains during her recent visit to the region.

The party said the statements had rendered the future of the regions uncertain.

"On one hand, she said Terai (plains of Darjeeling) and Dooars (foothills of the Himalayas) should not worry about being part of GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration)," former CPI-M minister Ashok Bhattacharya, considered the party's face in north Bengal, said.

"On the other hand, she has given assurance in writing in the GTA agreement that parts of Siliguri (in the plains) and Terai and Dooars will form part of it," he said. "Banerjee on her visit to north Bengal has given evidence of political dishonesty."

Referring to the empowered committee set up to demarcate areas in Terai and Dooaors, which could come under the proposed hills development body GTA, he said, "I want to know which one of her claims is true."

"The empowered committee set up has been asked to consider, identify, examine and recommend to the government inclusion of these parts in the GTA. In the wake of this, there is so much to worry about."

Druing her visit to Dooars earlier this week, Banerjee had clarified that the formation of a high-powered area demarcation committee did not mean "giving away" the Terai and Dooars region to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the predominant political party in the Darjeeling hills, has long been demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out from the northern parts of the state. It has also been demanding inclusion of Terai and Dooars under the GTA.

On July 18, a tripartite agreement was signed between the GJM and the state and central governments. At the core of the agreement is the formation of the GTA. The GTA is armed with more powers compared to its predecessor, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.

--IANS