GTA is first step to Gorkhaland: BJP
19 March 2012
statesman news service
NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH: Senior BJP leader and MP from Darjeeling, Mr Jaswant Singh, today described the recently set up Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) as “the first step towards the achievement of Gorkhaland” provoking strong reactions from Left leaders Mr Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Mr Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) who said people of West Bengal would oppose any bifurcation of the state.
“The Gorkhaland territorial administration (GTA) is the first step towards the achievement of Gorkhaland, but they cannot jump to Gorkhaland. So, let this Gorkhaland Administration be built up,” Mr Singh said in the Lok Sabha participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s address.
Stating that Darjeeling Hills is a “highly strategically important area”, the former Union minister urged the government to understand the “logic” of contiguous areas. “This is my appeal to the Trinamul members that if a committee has been formed to study as to what are the contiguous areas, then recognise the logic of that committee. Determination of contiguous areas must be included,” he said.
The Trinamul Congress floor leader and the Union minister of state for health, Mr Sudip Bandyopadhyay, confirmed that a committee has been set up by the state government. The panel is headed by former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Mr Shyamal Sen.
“The Committee has placed the report and the Union home minister (P Chidambaram) has the idea about what sort of report has been tabled,” he said adding that the chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee, is sincerely working to resolve the issues. Mr Acharia said the people of Bengal are against the division of the state. He was supported by Mr Gurudas Dasgupta of CPI. The Left members also had an exchange of words with some Trinamul members.
Mr Jaswant Singh, however, said he is “not suggesting any bifurcation of Bengal”.
He said a section of Gorkhas has been granted tribal status but others have not and urged the government not to divide the Gorkhas into tribals and non-tribals. He also urged the finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, to provide a “start-up” fund for the Darjeeling Hills.
NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH: Senior BJP leader and MP from Darjeeling, Mr Jaswant Singh, today described the recently set up Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) as “the first step towards the achievement of Gorkhaland” provoking strong reactions from Left leaders Mr Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Mr Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) who said people of West Bengal would oppose any bifurcation of the state.
“The Gorkhaland territorial administration (GTA) is the first step towards the achievement of Gorkhaland, but they cannot jump to Gorkhaland. So, let this Gorkhaland Administration be built up,” Mr Singh said in the Lok Sabha participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s address.
Stating that Darjeeling Hills is a “highly strategically important area”, the former Union minister urged the government to understand the “logic” of contiguous areas. “This is my appeal to the Trinamul members that if a committee has been formed to study as to what are the contiguous areas, then recognise the logic of that committee. Determination of contiguous areas must be included,” he said.
The Trinamul Congress floor leader and the Union minister of state for health, Mr Sudip Bandyopadhyay, confirmed that a committee has been set up by the state government. The panel is headed by former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Mr Shyamal Sen.
“The Committee has placed the report and the Union home minister (P Chidambaram) has the idea about what sort of report has been tabled,” he said adding that the chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee, is sincerely working to resolve the issues. Mr Acharia said the people of Bengal are against the division of the state. He was supported by Mr Gurudas Dasgupta of CPI. The Left members also had an exchange of words with some Trinamul members.
Mr Jaswant Singh, however, said he is “not suggesting any bifurcation of Bengal”.
He said a section of Gorkhas has been granted tribal status but others have not and urged the government not to divide the Gorkhas into tribals and non-tribals. He also urged the finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, to provide a “start-up” fund for the Darjeeling Hills.
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