GTA to be sworn in today
4 Aug 2012 7:16 AM IST
Finally, a new regime, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) is all set to take over the governance of the hills on Saturday. The members of the new hill council, which will replace the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council(DGHC), will take oath at a function in which Union Home Minister Sushil Shinde, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Railway Minister Mukul Roy will be present.
The elections took place in 29 July and the GJM(Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) swept all 45 seats. Though the CPIM and Banerjee's TMC had fielded candidates initially but they withdrew before the polls. More than 50 per cent of the seats were won by the GJM uncontested. Once the GTA comes to power, Banerjee has promised development funds for uplifting the local economy and promoting the interest of the hill residents.In a recent visit to the area, she indicated that large projects in tourism, health and education were on.
A tripartite agreement paving the way for the setting up of the GTA was signed at Pintail village, near Siliguri, on 18 July last year in the presence of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung, Banerjee and the then Union home minister P Chidamabaram after three and a half years of unrest on the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. Bringing peace in the Darjeeling hills was one of the priorities of Banerjee after the TMC swept to power in the state last year. The members if the winner council also reciprocated by attending Banerjee's 21 July Martyr's Day rally.
The elections took place in 29 July and the GJM(Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) swept all 45 seats. Though the CPIM and Banerjee's TMC had fielded candidates initially but they withdrew before the polls. More than 50 per cent of the seats were won by the GJM uncontested. Once the GTA comes to power, Banerjee has promised development funds for uplifting the local economy and promoting the interest of the hill residents.In a recent visit to the area, she indicated that large projects in tourism, health and education were on.
A tripartite agreement paving the way for the setting up of the GTA was signed at Pintail village, near Siliguri, on 18 July last year in the presence of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung, Banerjee and the then Union home minister P Chidamabaram after three and a half years of unrest on the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. Bringing peace in the Darjeeling hills was one of the priorities of Banerjee after the TMC swept to power in the state last year. The members if the winner council also reciprocated by attending Banerjee's 21 July Martyr's Day rally.
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