GJM not to attend hill council meeting in Darjeeling

Chief Minister Banerjee will go to meet Kalimpong at the invitation of the Lepcha Tribal Association

The GJM today said it has decided not to attend the meeting of the hill council, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, in Darjeeling next week to elect a new chief executive since the pre-condition of release of all arrested GJM leaders has not been met by the West Bengal government.

'GJM had made the release of all its leaders and workers arrested during the agitation a condition for attending the meeting to elect a new GTA chief executive,' GJM Publicity Secretary Harkabahadur Chetri told PTI from Darjeeling referring to the meet on September four.

'That pre-condition has not been met by the state government. The GJM has decided not to attend the GTA meeting,' he said.

Asked about Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's planned visit to attend a programme of the Lepchas at Kalimpong in the hills on September three, he said 'Hopefully the programme will pass off peacefully and smoothly and there will be no obstruction.

'I will be away in Delhi as part of the GJM delegation to meet central leaders on September 1, hence I will not be present in Kalimpong on that day,' Chetri, the GJM MLA from Kalimpong said.

The chief minister will go to Kalimpong at the invitation of the Lepcha Tribal Association.

The Mamata government has formed the Lepcha Development Board on August 5 much which has been viewed by GJM chief Bimal Gurung as a move to divide the agitation for Gorkhaland.

To a question, Chetri said UPA's decision to create Telengana has reignited the Gorkhaland movement in the hills.

'Our one point agenda is statehood. The demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland is outside the state's domain. It is for the Central government to decide on the issue,' he said.

The chief minister has ruled out division of Bengal and wanted GJM to elect a successor to Bimal Gurung as the chief executive of the GTA, who had resigned on July 31.

In a concession to the GJM she had said yesterday that the GJM's request for a nominated member to become the GTA CEO could be considered.