Mamata Banerjee forms BoA in Darjeeling hills, rebel GJM leader Binay Tamang made chairman

CM Mamata Banerjee announced that board of administrators will undertake development works in the hills. (Source: PTI)

Determined to resolve the deadlock in Darjeeling hills, Mamata Banerjee government on Wednesday formed a 9-member ‘Board of Administrators’ (BoA) under Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) in Darjeeling hills and made rebel Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Binay Tamang as its chairman.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her government will soon issue a notification in this regard and said the newly-formed board of administrators will undertake development works in the hills. Following the unrest in Darjeeling hills, all 45 elected members of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), including its Chief Executive Bimal Gurung, had resigned from the administrative body.

Following the unrest in Darjeeling hills, all 45 elected members of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), including its Chief Executive Bimal Gurung, had resigned from the administrative body.

“Following the resignation of GTA members from the administrative body, we had made IAS Barun Roy the administrator of GTA as per Gorkha Territorial Administration Act. If they had not resigned from GTA, they could have remained in the body till an election was held. As they had resigned from GTA, we had to appoint an administrator to run the administrative body till now. Today, we have taken a decision to form a board of administrators which will enjoy the same power as of the administrator of GTA. We have formed the board of administrators as per section 65 (b) of GTA Act. Representatives of hill parties have been made members of this board and they will now run the GTA from now onwards” Banerjee announced.

Rebel GJM leader Binay Tamang has been made the chairman of the board of administrators while rebel GJM leaders Anit Thapa was made the vice-chairman. Interestingly, both these GJM leaders, who were expelled from the party following their differences of opinion with GJM Chief Bimal Gurung, met Banerjee at state secretariat (Nabanna) a few days back. According to political observers, forming of the board of administrators was a clever move by the state government to divide the GJM further and send the message of development to the people of the hills.

Banerjee added that the board of administrators will continue to function till an election was held to form an elected body in GTA. “We do not want to stall the development in the hills. The new board will undertake development works in the hills from now onwards. The board has been formed with representatives from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik. They will work till a fresh election is held. Right now there is no atmosphere to conduct an election in GTA. Whenever the situation arises for an election, we will conduct it,” Banerjee told reporters at Nabanna. Other members of the newly-formed board of administrators are Mann Ghishing, Amar Singh Rai, Anu Chhetri, Joyful Khatun, LD Roy, Sanchari Subba and Principal Secretary of GTA.

The Chief Minister added that her government did not ask previous GTA members to resign from their posts. “We never asked anyone to resign. They did it on their own. We cannot let GTA not functioning for a long time,” Banerjee added.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister criticised Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for holding a meeting with GJM leaders against whom a lookout notice has been issued. “We know that a lookout notice has been issued against some GJM leaders. It is not right to hold a meeting with them. It is a constitutional and an important post. Had I been holding this post, I would not have done it,” she said while speaking at the meeting which was held in Delhi.