Tripartite Darjeeling pact signed

A tripartite agreement on the Darjeeling hills was today signed between the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and the central and West Bengal governments for creating the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), aimed at restoring peace in the hills after two nearly decades of uncertainty.

According to sources, the total economic package for the body would be over Rs 1,000 crore, of which the Centre has already promised Rs 600 crore. The new administration will have more autonomy and financial powers, as compared to its predecessor, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, formed in the late 1980s.

The body will have autonomous powers over all the departments — except home, finance and judiciary — and will have 50 members, including 45 elected ones, even as the government ruled out any division of the state. But GJM President Bimal Gurung said this was the first step towards the creation of a separate Gorkhaland.

“Bengal will not be separated and Darjeeling will smile inside the state,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said after the historic pact was signed at Pintail village near Siliguri. The accord was signed by Home Secretary G D Gautama, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and K K Pathak, joint secretary from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Confirming the size of the package, Harka Bahadur Chetri, the party spokesperson and the MLA from Kalimpong constituency, told Business Standard, “We had asked for Rs 1,500 crore. The Centre has already assured Rs 600 crore. With the kind of projects assured in the agreement, the figure stands above Rs 1,000 crore, including the state’s contribution.”

The Centre grant would be given in an installment of Rs 200 crore in three years, which is higher than Rs 30 crore that the erstwhile Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) used to get annually.

According to Chetri, the highlights of the package and the promises given consist of super-speciality hospitals in four places (including a medical college), university in Darjeeling, central institutes of technology and a management institute.

The chief minister promised colleges of tourism and nursing, a tea research institute, horticulture and floriculture centres, mini and micro power projects, IIT vocational training institutes, along with a new water supply and traffic management system in the hills.

“An elected body would take charge of the hills in the next six months,” she assured.

While GJM supporters celebrated over the signing of the pact, a 48-hour bandh was called by two local political outfits, opposing the agreement, paralysed life in parts of Siliguri and Jalpaiguri towns.

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Biman Bose alleged that the Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress was trying to divide the plains and the hills. “Darjeeling is my sister and the plains, too. We will develop both the regions together. The earlier government has even tried to hold this agreement for certain reasons like the change of name of the body from the Gorkhaland Regional Council to GTA.”

On the other hand, Gurung claimed Terai and Dooars region should also be a part of GTA.