DARJEELING:Asserting that her government is ready to do everything for uplifting Darjeeling’s people, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday clearly indicated that she did not favour the creation of separate Gorkhaland state.
“We will help you with each and every thing. We will help you with all our hearts. You people are our brothers and sisters. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for your development but we are not ready to leave Darjeeling,” said Banerjee at a tourism festival sitting beside pro-Gorkhaland GJM leaders.
GJM has, over the past three-and-a-half years, spearheaded the movement for a separate Gorkhaland to be carved out of parts of northern West Bengal, including the Darjeeling hills.
On July 18, a tripartite agreement was signed between the GJM and the state and central governments. At the core of the agreement is the formation of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), armed with more powers as compared to its predecessor, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.
“For the sake of development and peace of the hills, for the betterment of the youths of the hills, we have done the GTA agreement. The work has already started for GTA. After that there will be a election for the formation of GTA. For the election of GTA, the work for delimitation has also started,” said Banerjee.
“Please believe me… I want to work for your development and progress.
I have visited north Bengal three times after coming to power,” said Banerjee who is on a three-day visit to the area.”We will also constitute a Lepcha development council under backward classes. Its office will be come up in Darjeeling only,” she said.
Banerjee also expressed concerns for the quake victims in Darjeeling and said that northeast and north Bengal should be treated similarly as both the areas have same topography and geography.”We will help the people of the hills who are suffering the relief camps due to this earthquake. We will help them. I have requested the national disaster team which have just come from Sikkim to give same importance to north Bengal ,” she said.(IANS)