GTA chairperson meets CM, demands funds for development of hill areas

The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of recent political churning in the hills after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) withdrew from the GTA last month, claiming that promises were not fulfilled.

After the meeting, Thapa said, “We discussed various issues related to the development of the hills, including the ICDS scheme. We are now not emphasising the Gorkhaland statehood. That’s a Central Government subject. Our focus is on the development of the hill areas. For a long time, hill areas have been deprived of development, so the hill people need development.”

Thapa said he requested the CM to set up a separate primary education board for the area under the GTA’s jurisdiction.

Thapa demanded the allocation of the pending State Plan Fund for the current financial year and the backlog of previous years since 2014-15 and appropriate enhancement of the annual State Plan and Non-Plan budgetary allocations for the GTA.

The memorandum also demanded the issuance of land rights for the people living in tea gardens and Cinchona Plantation area under the GTA, and the allocation of funds under SDRF for rebuilding roads, culverts, bridges and other infrastructure damaged due to heavy rainfall and landslides.

“The Home and Hill Affairs Department, West Bengal, may issue instructions to all departments to make all correspondences to the Principal Secretary, Gorkhaland Territorial Admi nistration, on matters regarding transferred subjects to the GTA for the implementation of different government programmes and policies,” wrote Thapa.

Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Ganatantrik Morcha is in power at the GTA with the support of the TMC. — with PTI inputs