GTA team departs for Kolkata, to hold meets with govt officials on Hill dev boards
Darjeeling: A two-member Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) team comprising GTA Chief Executive Anit Thapa and Deputy Chairman Rajesh Chauhan departed for Kolkata on Wednesday. In Kolkata, they are scheduled to hold meetings with the state government on different issues pertaining to the GTA and the Hill development boards.
During her recent visit to Darjeeling, on November 12, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the reconstitution of the 16 Development and Cultural Boards constituted by the Bengal government. The reconstitution will take place within the next one-and-a-half months. She also constituted a monitoring cell with GTA Chief Anit Thapa at the helm to oversee activities and functioning of these development boards. The Chief Minister has also invited suggestions on the Boards.
Though the GTA has not issued any official comment on the sudden trip to Kolkata, sources state that the GTA team will be meeting the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and others. They could be handing over a report on the Development Boards. Other important issues to be discussed include full-fledged transfer of powers and functions to the GTA from the state as per the GTA agreement along with pending funds to the GTA. The GTA has also given proposals for construction of parking lots in Darjeeling to ease traffic woes. This could also feature in the talks. However, there is no scheduled meeting of the GTA team with the Chief Minister.
With election to the three Hill municipalities, including Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik on the anvil, hill political circles are on the rife with speculations that meetings could be held with TMC top brass over issues pertaining to the elections, including seat sharing between TMC-Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha alliance. Mamata Banerjee during her visit had lauded the Anit Thapa-led BGPM and stressed that the alliance between the two parties would continue, thereby cementing the fate of the coalition.
