Gorkha Janmukti Morcha climbs down on GTA demand, says polls in June-July

Kolkata, Mar 24 (PTI) In an apparent climbdown, the GJM today concurred with the West Bengal government that elections to form the Gorkha Territorial Administration would be held in June-end or early July. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had earlier demanded that the GTA be formed within March 27, failing which with it threatened to launch an agitation in Darjeeling for a separate Gorkhaland. "Notwithstanding the receipt of recommendations of the High Power Committee, the first elections would be held on the basis of delimitation of constituencies in the region as specified in the Act," GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri told reporters. Giri was quoting a statement containing five decisions taken unanimously during a two-hour parley between GJM leaders including its chief Bimal Gurung and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Writers' Buildings here. Expressing satisfaction at the meeting, Giri said it was also unanimously decided that the Justice (retd) Sen Committee would be requested to submit its report on the inclusion of additional areas of Siliguri, Terai and Dooars in the GTA by early June this year. "It was also unanimously decided that both the state government and the GJM agreed to abide by the recommendations of the high-power committee," he said. "The government will issue notification including new areas, if any, as may be recommended by the high-power committee," Giri said quoting the statement. The Committee was set up by the West Bengal government to ascertain the jurisdiction of the GTA.