Security tightened in view of Mamata’s visit

Siliguri, 30 August: Elaborate security arrangements will be made in Kalimpong sub-division in Darjeeling Hills in view of chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee’s proposed visit there at a time when the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha has called a two-day bandh in the Hills in the name of ‘Ghar Bhitra Janata’ from 2 September.
The administrative officials took the decision after the GJMM decided to call a two-day programme to “confine” people in the Hills during the chief minister’s visit to Kalimpong on 3 September where Miss
Banerjee will be felicitated by Lepcha people for setting up Lepcha Development Council.
A senior police official said that the GJMM in the name of Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee had prepared the agenda to confine the Hills people to their homes so that a large number of people, including the Lepcha community, cannot attend chief minister’s
programme.
The Inspector General of Police in north Bengal, Mr Shashikant Pujari, said: “Sufficient police arrangements, including deployment of Central forces, will be made in Kalimpong
sub-division area so that people can come out of their homes without fear during the chief minister’s visit to Kalimpong on 3 September. Anybody can come out of his home. Nobody would be able to confine people at home forcibly. Police will take strict action against the offenders.”
“We hope the GJMM will go for confrontation during its two-day programme to confine people inside their homes in the Hills,” Mr Pujari said.
Notably, according to
official sources, the organisers of the Lepcha community had planned to organise the programme in Siliguri to avoid any
confrontation.
Following the chief
minister’s desire it was decided that the programme would be arranged in Darjeeling, but later the state administrative officials decided to hold the chief minister’s felicitation ceremony in Kalimpong, where the Lepcha people are concentrated.(SNS)