West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a five-day visit to North Bengal, called for elections to set up a new Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) body in the hills.
“I want the GTA elections to be held in May-June,” the CM said, “There are two tier rural bodies (Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti) in the hills. We have requested the Center to implement a three-tier rural body system, so that We can hold three-tier rural body elections in hilly areas. Kewal Roshan Giri of GJM’s Bimal Gurung faction said he would suggest, while others are willing to hold elections. Ajoy Edwards of Hamro Party also said he would support it. Want peace and prosperity. Now Darjeeling is flooded with tourists.”
Banerjee interacted with locals in Darjeeling on Monday and was also seen hugging a child. He was also seen helping an old woman while walking on the road.
His visit to North Bengal assumes significance as the CM held a meeting with representatives of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha on Monday.
He said that Harka Bahadur of the Democratic Party wants elections, but GJM Bimal Gurung and BJP do not want elections.
“We want a permanent solution,” Giri said. We are not supporting the BJP.”
After the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988, Darjeeling Hills got a two-tier panchayat system. For rural areas of Siliguri sub-division, Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad was formed on the lines of Zilla Parishad and kept outside the control of DGHC. The last panchayat elections in Darjeeling Hills were held in 2000.
After the Trinamool’s resounding victory in the civic polls in North Bengal, Banerjee had assured the people of Siliguri that she would return to the region, as winning the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad election was her next target.
On Sunday, Banerjee attended an event in Siliguri, where she explained her government’s social welfare schemes. The Chief Minister will visit Uttarkanya on March 31 before leaving for Kolkata the next day.
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