The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Wednesday discussed inclusion of reserve forests in the jurisdiction of the newly-formed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in Darjeeling, with the West Bengal government.
GJM leaders would meet Union Home minister P Chidambaram in Delhi on August 5 and discuss the issue of including reserve forests, GJM President Bimal Gurung said after a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here.
Also discussed were taxation and development of tourism projects, he told reporters during the meeting which took place 16 days after the signing of the Darjeeling tripartite agreement.
Mr. Gurung said that a high-powered committee was working to decide on which areas would be included in the jurisdiction of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the new hill council in Darjeeling.
Stating that the GJM in collaboration with the state government would work for development of Darjeeling, he said “For the last 34 years, we got nothing. Now we will work jointly to develop ourselves.
“I am satisfied at our meeting with the chief minister whom I have invited to visit Darjeeling,” Mr. Gurung, who was accompanied by GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and party MLA Harkabahadur Chhetri, said.
The Chief Minister, when asked about the meeting, described it as a courtesy call.
