Hill Council polls within 6 months

Elections to the council had been held up as Ghising had been demanding more autonomy. In fact, the last meeting between Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and Ghising had remained inconclusive.

The state and the Centre had maintained that elections and empowering the council could proceed simultaneously. Ghising, however, insisted that elections be held only after the council is given more autonomy.

Talking to reporters after an hour-long meeting today, Union Home Secretary Vinod Kumar Duggal said all sides had agreed to hold polls to the hill council within six months.

‘‘But before that we will have to build a consensus on granting special status to the hill council either under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution or under Article 371,’’ he said.

Duggal said it was ‘‘too premature’’ to predict the final shape of the council. ‘‘It will clear only after negotiations between the state, Centre and representatives of the hill council.’’ He said no demand had been made to carve out a state of Gorkhaland from Bengal.