CM to meet Hill parties to discuss issues for maintaining peace

Kolkata: With success of the state government in restoring normalcy in Darjeeling following the previous two meetings with representatives of all political parties of the Hills, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is going to discuss issues with them to maintain the peace at a time when police have knowledge of Bimal Gurung's blueprint to create disturbance in the region.

The meeting will be held in the state secretariat, Nabanna on Monday.

After receiving a letter of GNLF president, Mann Ghising to the Chief Minister requesting her to intervene to bring an end to the stalemate in Darjeeling that continued for around three months, the state government had convened the first meeting of all political parties from the Hills and later the second meeting held at Uttar Kanya, the state government's administrative headquarters in North Bengal. The bandh was subsequently withdrawn and life in the Hills started returning to normal with the formation of a eight member Board of Administrators to run the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), whose chairman and vice chairman is Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa respectively.

In such a situation, there were some attempts to turn the situation volatile once again. But the state police have also made its stand clear of making any sacrifice to ensure peace in the Hills.

Now, the Chief Minister will be discussing the issues with members of all political parties from the Hills on Monday, who had earlier assured all support to the state government to bring back normalcy in the Hills instead of violence that had become a daily routine when Gurung and his men called a bandh for an indefinite period in the region.

Tamang and Thapa will also be present in Friday's meeting as representatives from Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

Both of them also met Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Monday and apprised him about the incidents that took place in the past few days. Tamang said after meeting the Governor: "We have also requested him to tell the Centre about the incidents. Considering the strategic location and sensitivity of the area, we have requested the Governor to take up the matter to the Centre. We have also urged him to arrange a tripartite meeting with the Centre for talks regarding the Hills." He further said that three MLAs from the Hills will also be attending the meeting scheduled to be held in Nabanna on Monday.