Darjeeling Shutdown

Relentless rain has devastated Darjeeling and adjoining North Bengal districts, triggering landslides that have killed at least 28 people.

Although West Bengal's chief minister, Mamata Banerjee termed her meeting with the major Hill parties as "a success" after consenting to three major demands of these parties pushing for separate statehood, no consensus to end the shutdown was reached upon to end the self-imposed blockade in the Darjeeling hills.The state government, headed by Banerjee met major Hill parties in Siliguri on Tuesday to restore peace in the Hills as the shutdown entered its 90th day.Banerjee accepted to implement minimum wages for the workers in the tea gardens and consented to a "high level enquiry" in cases related to alleged police firing and blasts in Kalimpong and Darjeeling hills."We have also decided to provide compensation to the families of those who died", the state's chief minister, Mamata Banerjee said at a press conference after the meeting.However, the state government didn't consent to withdrawing criminal charges pressed against leaders of the agitation which earlier the Hill parties ...

The situation remained tense but no incidents of violence or arson was reported since last night

As tension escalated in Darjeeling, GJM called for indefinite strike and tea estates didn't reopen

Tea gardens are expected to post at least 3-4 per cent net loss in the current financial year

Agitations turn violent in Singmari; 3 GJM supporters and 15 security personnel injured

Around 2,000 Muslims who identified themselves as Gorkha Muslims took out a protest march

The West Bengal CM alleged Gorkha Janmukti Morch had connections with northeast insurgency groups