GJM unhappy with WB govt over GTA Bill draft

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Wednesday conveyed its unhappiness to the West Bengal government on the 'exclusion' of some powers in the draft Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) Bill to be placed in the Assembly on September two.

"Some powers, like financial and administrative RPT administrative powers, which exist in the GTA agreement are not in the Bill," GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri said after a meeting with Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh.

"Therefore necessary amendments have to be made and we have requested the chief secretary and (Commerce and Industries) Partha Chatterjee," Giri, who led a delegation of three GJM legislators, said.

Stating that the Bill has been approved in the Business Advisory Committee, Chatterjee said "They have expressed reservations about some wordings in the Bill which they say is not consistent with the GTA agreement.

"Any member can bring amendments (to the Bill). But whether those will be accepted or not will be decided by the House," he said.

Speaker Biman Banerjee said that the Bill will be placed for discussion and passing on September 2, the last day of the current session.

The Bill is meant to pave the way for the formation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in the Darjeeling hills.