Have received no official communication: Binay Tamang

Darjeeling: On Wednesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the formation of an administrative board to run the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) with Binay Tamang as the Chairman and Anit Thapa as the Vice-Chairman.

Reacting to this development, rebel GJM leader Binay Tamang stated: "I do not know anything about this. I have received no official communication. This matter was not discussed with me." Incidentally, on June 23, 2017, GTA Chief Bimal Gurung along with 42 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) elected and nominated members tendered their resignations from the GTA.

Gurung and the GJM were under pressure from the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (a conglomeration of 14 pro-Gorkhaland outfits) to resign from the GTA and walk the path of agitation.

"Both the DGHC and the GTA are failures. Owing to this, we had resigned en masse and had commenced the agitation for Gorkhaland. Even Binay Tamanag and Anit Thapa had resigned. It is shocking to see that the duo are returning back to the GTA. People's aspiration is Gorkhaland and not the GTA," stated Jyoti Kumar Rai, Assistant Secretary, GJM.

Rai stated that it is evident that if tripartite talks are held, the state will ensure that Tamang is invited. "We want tripartite talks but only on the Gorkhaland issue and not on more powers and functions to the GTA," added Rai.

The agitation led by Bimal Gurung and the GJM in 2008 culminated in the signing of the GTA Accord between the Union, state and the GJM on July 18, 2011.

The tripartite accord had paved way for the formation of the GTA. Election to the GTA was held on July 30, 2012. After winning all the 45 seats of the GTA, the GJM members led by Gurung had been sworn to office on August 4, 2012.

Commenting on being nominated as a member of the Board of Administrators, Mann Ghising, president, Gorkha National

Liberation Front stated: "It is totally unacceptable. This has been done without consultation. We do not want anything to do with the GTA. It has

been rejected by the people. It will be never be accepted by the people and cannot be forced onto them."