Bandh relaxed for two days in Darjeeling hills

Banks, post offices, central and state government offices reopened on Monday

The indefinite bandh in three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling was lifted for two days beginning today with the Gorkha Joint Action Committee slated to review its future course of action.

GJAC sources the bandh had been relaxed to enable people to procure provisions and to enable boarders to return to schools. The Gorkha Joint Action Committee is slated to review its future course of action tomorrow.

Locals have been facing hardship with foodstocks diminishing and petrol pumps in the hills going dry due to the bandh.

Banks, post offices, central and state government offices reopened today, officials said.

Nearly 65 trucks trundled into Darjeeling and Kalimpong towns carrying foodstuff and supplies such as rice, lentil, meat and fish from Siliguri market.

Light vehicles plied from Darjeeling to Siliguri in the plains. A 20-member tourist party caught, in the Gorkhaland agitation in Darjeeling, left for Siliguri this morning.

Boarding school students from different areas, who had stayed overnight at Siliguri, made their way back to their hostels in the hills this morning. Schools are slated to reopen on September 13.

The bandh, in force from July 29, to revive the demand for a separate Gorkhaland in the wake of the Centre's decision on Telangana, had earlier been lifted for a day on August 31.

It was again clamped prior to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to the hills on September 2 and 3 where she was felicitated by the Lepcha community.