2,500 GTA adhoc workers join Trinamool

Darjeeling: The Trinamool Congress got a major boost in the Hills with around 2,500 payband workers of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) under the aegis of United Employees Union (UEU) joining the party.

Meanwhile, the GJM (Binoy) floated the GTA Karmachari Sangathan (GKS) in Kurseong on Monday.

Incidentally the Payband or adhoc workers of C and D category of the GTA have been agitating since long demanding regularization. Recently the Janmukti Asthahi Karmachari Sangathan

(JAKS) had parted ways with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Binoy) and floated the UEU. They had declared that they would not be an affiliate of any political camp.

On Monday, the UEU with around 2500 members officially joined the TMC in Darjeeling. Party flags were

handed over to them by Rajya Sabha MP Shanta Chettri and TMC Spokesperson NB Khawas.

"We will support whosoever has the capacity in getting our demands through. Earlier we were drawing meager salaries of a few thousands and it was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who implemented the pay band and now we are drawing a decent salary. If there is anyone who can regularise us, it is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. We have suffered enough. There are many of us who have worked for more than 30 years. Despite there being sanctioned posts we have not been regularized. It is our own people who are to blame for our sorry plight" stated Deo Prakash Khawas, General Secretary, UEU.

He stated that the State time and again (1995, 1997, 2009- 3472 sanctioned posts) had asked both the DGHC and the GTA to regularize the adhoc workers against the sanctioned post but nothing had been done by the people at the helm.

"It could be lack of political will, caliber or attitude of the people at the helm of affairs for this. We will definitely try to resolve the issue" assured TMC Spokesperson NB Khawas. Prior to this 800 employees had crossed over to TMC in Kalimpong.

In another development, speaking on the occasion of the raising of GKS in Kurseong, Anit Thapa, General Secretary, GJM and the Chairman, GTA, stated "Regularisation is through a Government system and not through political

party affiliations. It would have been

better if all the adhoc workers remain united."