“Both the Centre and the state government have assured in course of the dialogue that they would do everything to expedite the GTA implementation,” said the GJMM general secretary, Mr Roshan Giri over the phone from New Delhi.
This is the second review meeting since the GTA was signed on 18 July last year. The first tripartite review meeting was held in Delhi in September last year.
“Several important issues related to the GTA agreement came up for discussion and we clarified our stance. We particularly stressed on expediting the progress pertaining to the expansion of the GTA’s geographical jurisdiction that the Shymal Sen Committee has been looking into. We would keep insisting on inclusion of the Terai and the Dooars in the GTA’s geographical contours as a prelude to the GTA elections,” Mr Giri said.
Dwelling on the details, Mr Giri said that several matters related to transfer of reserved forest, environment department, recruitment in Army and police, schools and colleges and also the police cases slapped against the GJMM activists during Gorkhaland agitation had come up during the three-way parleys.
According to the administrative sources, the Union home department additional secretary, Mrs B Bahmathi, the state home secretary, Mr GD Gautama, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council administrator, Mr Anil Verma and the GJMM general secretary, Mr Roshan Giri were present at today’s meeting. It has been learnt that review was made with regard to more than 31 clauses as enshrined in the GTA agreement.
“The ambience at the meeting was cordial and warm,” a senior administrative official said, adding the administration would take up elections to the autonomous body once the GTA Act comes into force. “The state government would first issue the election notification. After that the delimitation exercise involving 45-constituencies would begin. Things would clear up soon, he added.
statesman news service
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