Leaders of the Trinamul Congress Hill unit today said the Gorkha Jan
Mukti Morcha (GJMM) should pay the outstanding electricity dues
amounting to Rs 90 crore that had accumulated during the party-led
non-cooperation movement for Gorkhaland from April 2008 to July
2011.According to the TMC spokesperson in Darjeeling, Binny Sharma, the
electricity dues for the commercial and industrial sector stand at Rs 35
crore, while the dues for domestic purposes amount to Rs 55 crore.
He was responding to ‘rumours’ that the commercial sector in the three hill sub-divisions will have to themselves clear the dues and that the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) would soon cut off the power connection.
"In October-November last year, leaders of the GJMM had held a meeting with the state government in Kolkata where they said that as the commercial sector in the Hills had taken the amount from the people during the statehood agitation, they are themselves liable to pay the outstanding dues," Binny said.
"The commercial sector is now panic-stricken, but we would like to assure the people that their power lines will not be disconnected and the state government is working out a strategy with various departments,” Mr Sharma said.It may be mentioned that In January, the WBSEDCL had served notices to hotels and other commercial establishments in Kalimpong, asking them to clear the dues by January 29 or face power cuts.The Hotel and Restaurant Owners' Association of Kalimpong had then asked the GJMM to intervene. Bimal Gurung, the GJMM and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief, held a meeting with officials of the WBSEDCL last month where it was decided that the electricity lines of commercial establishments in the hills would not be cut off for now, pending a letter sent to the state government over whether the dues should be paid or waived off.(SNS)
He was responding to ‘rumours’ that the commercial sector in the three hill sub-divisions will have to themselves clear the dues and that the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) would soon cut off the power connection.
"In October-November last year, leaders of the GJMM had held a meeting with the state government in Kolkata where they said that as the commercial sector in the Hills had taken the amount from the people during the statehood agitation, they are themselves liable to pay the outstanding dues," Binny said.
"The commercial sector is now panic-stricken, but we would like to assure the people that their power lines will not be disconnected and the state government is working out a strategy with various departments,” Mr Sharma said.It may be mentioned that In January, the WBSEDCL had served notices to hotels and other commercial establishments in Kalimpong, asking them to clear the dues by January 29 or face power cuts.The Hotel and Restaurant Owners' Association of Kalimpong had then asked the GJMM to intervene. Bimal Gurung, the GJMM and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief, held a meeting with officials of the WBSEDCL last month where it was decided that the electricity lines of commercial establishments in the hills would not be cut off for now, pending a letter sent to the state government over whether the dues should be paid or waived off.(SNS)