GTA Bill gets President’s nod, GJMM happy

GTA Bill gets President’s nod, GJMM happy

7 March 2012

statesman news service

KOLKATA/SILIGURI, 7 March: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Bill has finally received Presidential assent, paving the way for the election for the formation of the new body to replace the present Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council (DGAHC). 

The chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee, had blamed the Centre for the delay in getting the Presidential assent since there was a possibility that the fragile peace brokered by the GTA deal might have been disturbed once again.

The chief secretary, Mr Samar Ghosh, today said a gazette notification would be issued now following which the run-up to the election process for GTA would be initiated.

In the first place, the process of delimitation of constituencies for holding the election will be carried out. Following this a draft will be published of the delimited constituencies. There would be an interval of 15 days to register objections. Visibly relieved with the long-awaited Presidential assent being officially obtained for the GTA Bill, the GJMM has decided to put on hold the agitation that the party threatened to launch from 27 March. Yet, under the veneer of satisfaction, tension seems to be lurking as the party is not certain that the land knot involving around 400 moujas across the Terai-Dooars region would be resolved soon.

GJMM general secretary Roshan Giri said they were happy with today’s development. “We must express our gratitude to our chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her initiatives to speed up things. We are grateful too to the President of India and the Centre as well. We have decided to put on hold the agitation that is to be launched on 27 March. But another knot remains unresolved.

“Unless and until the land logjam is resolved it would not be possible for us to go for the elections,” he said. Chief minister Banerjee had intervened to expedite the process and met the PM on the issue.