BGPM launches 'Mission Panchayat' on first foundation day of the party
Darjeeling: "The Hills have pinned their hopes on the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha. Within one year of the party coming into existence, it was voted to power in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. Now we will launch- Mission Panchayat. The mantra for this will be 'Afnu Gaon Affai Sudhara' (We ourselves have to get our own place back on track and develop it)," stated Anit Thapa, president, BGPM.
Thapa addressed a BGPM rally at the Monteviot ground in Kurseong on Friday to mark the occasion of the first foundation day of the party.
The BGPM declared that from Saturday the party would launch "Mission Panchayat." "During the GTA elections, we had assured that we would reinstate the Panchayat system in the Hills. We have lived up to our assurance. The Hills for the time being will have elections to two tiers of the Panchayat," stated Thapa. He asked all BJPM supporters to host the party flags on the roof of their houses from Saturday.
Incidentally, the last Panchayat election was held in 2000 in Darjeeling Hills. Recently, there was a notice from the State Election Commission asking the District Magistrates of Darjeeling and Kalimpong to start preparatory work for the Panchayat elections, including delimitation and seat reservation.
"We have to rectify faulty ways and establish a proper system in the Hills. We have successfully established peace in the Hills. Let love and good culture follow," added Thapa. He stated that the party needs guardians. "Very soon, we will be nominating an advisory committee in which we will have leaders like Dr. Harka Bahadur Chettri- my political guru," declared Thapa.
Dr. Harka Bahadur Chettri, president, Janmukti Andolan Party and former MLA was present at the Raising Day commemorations as the chief guest. Addressing the gathering, Chettri stated: "In the past also, the government had given many opportunities but they were not utilised. On December 31, 2011 the Union Government had given the powers to create laws pertaining to the Gorkha Administrative Authority but the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the party in power, sat over it. The State Government had time and again urged the GTA to create a School Service Commission and had even proposed a three member commission but no action was taken in this regard."
The JAP president stated that the Hills should learn to differentiate between fly and bee. "Fly and bee look the same but have different behavior," added Chettri.
Amar Lama, general Secretary of the party, stated that the GTA Sabha will be run on the lines of the Vidhan Sabha. "The Sabha will commence on September 19 and will adopt resolutions on Gorkhaland; land documents to tea garden, cinchona plantation workers and regularising of GTA adhoc workers," added Lama.