The Hindu : National : Gorkha Hill Council members may resign today

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Monday, Mar 21, 2005

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Gorkha Hill Council members may resign today

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, MARCH 20. With the Prime Minister and the West Bengal Chief Minister holding talks in New Delhi on Saturday on the interim administrative arrangement for the Darjeeling hills that is to start functioning from March 26 on the expiry of the present term of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), the focus now shifts to the scheduled "surrender" of its councillors at a meeting tomorrow.

The Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has been reiterating that an interim arrangement is necessary to ensure peace in the region. "We do not want any confrontation. Look at the developments in Nepal," he told the Assembly on the eve of his meeting with the Prime Minister.

"A surrender"

Subash Ghisingh, chairman, DGHC, has described the move by all his councillors to hand in their papers as "surrender" rather than "resignation." According to leaders of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (Mr. Ghisingh's party), the resignations will underscore the demand that Mr. Ghisingh be formally appointed caretaker of the DGHC till elections to the Council are held. The "surrender" will mark the winding up of the DGHC's third general council.

The State Government had paved the way for appointment of a caretaker to oversee administration of the region till elections are held within six months by incorporating a provision to the DGHC (Amendment) Bill that was passed in the West Bengal Assembly last week. The structure of the interim arrangement is to be announced soon.

The State secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Polit Bureau member, Anil Biswas, has said that the party will recommend the formation of an administrative board comprising representatives of all democratic political parties that have a presence in the Darjeeling hills.

Opposition view

The leaders of five Opposition parties of the region at a recent meeting with Mr. Biswas endorsed his view.

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