Even Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief executive Anit Thapa has voiced strong opposition to chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s plan to allow 30 per cent of tea plantation land for commercial use under the banner of tea tourism.
Anit Thapa (photo:SNS)
Even Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief executive Anit Thapa has voiced strong opposition to chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s plan to allow 30 per cent of tea plantation land for commercial use under the banner of tea tourism.
Mr Thapa, who also leads the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), asserted that neither he nor the people of the Darjeeling Hills, including tea workers, support the proposed freehold land policy.
Advertisement
“I have received a promise from the government that the notification for freehold land will not be issued,” Mr Thapa stated today, reaffirming his commitment to protecting the region’s tea estates.
Advertisement
Vowing to safeguard the heritage and livelihood of tea workers, he declared, “Not a single tree in our tea gardens will be uprooted.” His remarks come amid growing concerns that the policy could alter the region’s landscape and threaten thousands who depend on the tea industry.
Speaking at a programme in Kurseong on Wednesday, Mr Thapa reiterated his resistance to any government move that could harm the Hills’ natural beauty. “I oppose any plans that would spoil the beauty, greenery, and landscape of the Hills. I have to save the Hills,” he said.
Following opposition from Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and former Rajya Sabha member Saman Pathak, Ajoy Edwards, chief convener of the Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front, also wrote to the Chief Minister expressing strong objections to the decision.
Echoing similar concerns, senior Gorkha leader and former GTA Chairman Binoy Tamang criticised the state government’s announcement at the Bengal Global Business Summit.
Advertisement
