In a significant move that may impact on the ongoing agitation in the Darjeeling hills, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on September 20 reconstituted the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and appointed rebel Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Binoy Tamang its chairperson.
The GTA, is the regional autonomous body set up as a result of a tripartite agreement between the Centre, the State and the GJM in 2011. GJM president Bimal Gurung was elected as the chief executive of the body in 2012, but he and other office bearers of the GTA resigned on June 23, 2017 when the agitation for the separate Gorkhaland State gained ground in the hills.
“Today we have taken a very important decision… Under Section 65 of the GTA Act we have appointed Board of Administrators comprising eight members to look after functioning of GTA,” Ms. Banerjee said.
According to Ms. Banerjee she had tried to accommodate people from all regions in the hills in the body. Anit Thapa a close aide of Mr. Tamang , who was recently expelled by the GJM leadership has been elected as vice-chairman of the body of administrators. Other members of the body include M. Ghising, president of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and GJM MLA from Darjeeling Amar Singh Rai.
Ms. Banerjee also raised objections over a section of GJM leaders against whom look out notices have been issued meeting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. She said that the police will soon arrest the GJM leaders.
Look out notice has been issued by a Darjeeling court against eight persons including Mr. Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri.
