Centre, state, GTA to attend review meeting tomorrow

The Union Home Ministry has decided to hold the next review meeting to look into the functioning of the GTA Sabha in Darjeeling tomorrow, official sources here said.
Decisions on allotment of additional funds to the GTA and initiating the process for the amendment to the Constitution to implement the three-tier panchayat system in the hills are expected to be taken at the meeting, the sources said tonight.
The review meetings are attended by representatives of the central and state governments and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
"The review meeting will be held at Richmond Hill in Darjeeling tomorrow from 4 PM. While a joint secretary of the Union home ministry is expected to represent the Centre, the state will be represented by its Home Secretary, Basudeb Banerjee," Morcha General Secretary and an executive GTA Roshan Giri said late tonight.

The review session is important as the Morcha has demanded Rs 575 crore as a one-time grant to put in place the administrative infrastructure of the GTA.
"Apart from the grant of Rs 575 crore, we are also looking towards getting some concrete assurances on increasing the financial grant to the GTA from Rs 200 crore per annum to Rs 400 crore for the next three years," said Giri.

The Morcha will also demand that the fact verification committee, which was formed to look into the recommendations made by Justice (retired) Shyamal Sen High Powered Committee, be asked to make a field visit to the Dooars and Terai.

Justice Sen had recommended the inclusion of only five of the 397 mouzas (administrative districts) demanded by the party in the GTA.
Giri said the Morcha would also demand at the tomorrow meeting that all Gorkha communities, except Schedule Caste members, be granted the Schedule Tribe status.