Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leader Binoy Tamang today said that he took up different issues related to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Siliguri today, including the parjapatta (land rights deed) for people living in the plains too.
Speaking over the phone from Siliguri, Mr Tamang said, “During my visit to Kolkata on 19 September, I had taken up different issues in a letter to the CM, and I today again took up the issues with her.”
According to Mr Tamang, the different issues include parja-patta for people living in the Hill, Terai and Dooars areas, more sub-divisions to be carved out for Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts, block bifurcation in the GTA area, up-gradation of Darjeeling Municipality to a corporation and regularization of GTA ad-hoc workers.
On the parja-patta issue, he said: “The state government has already taken up the matter, so the government might take steps for it soon. The process for it has also already started and a survey needs to be done of different parts of north Bengal and a survey verification team may be prepared for it first.”
Speaking on the other issues, Mr Tamang said, “All of us who were present in the meeting today took up different issues and the government has taken them seriously and will take them forward.” According to him, the chief secretary will also hold a meeting with the GTA soon to sort out the matter of GTA ad-hoc workers. Such workers are presently observing a pen-down strike, demanding regularization.
“In today’s meeting, we also took up the demand that vehicles from West Bengal be allowed to enter Sikkim, which has been stopped by them, even though their vehicles are allowed in West Bengal. In about 30 minutes, this matter was sorted out after a talk with their government today and Bengal vehicles will be allowed to enter Sikkim too,” he said.
He added that the name of the Vice-Chancellor for the proposed Darjeeling Hill University will also be announced soon.
Mr Tamang also said that they held an “internal meeting” with the CM today. He, however, did not want to elaborate on it.