The Hindu : Front Page : Ghising to be caretaker of council

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Thursday, Mar 24, 2005

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Ghising to be caretaker of council

By Marcus Dam

KOLKATA, MARCH 23. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has appointed the Chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, Subhash Ghising, as "caretaker-administrator" solely responsible for running an interim arrangement in the region till elections are held.

As a condition, it [the arrangement] is to last "no more than six months [till the polls] ... a message that will have to be passed on by them [the Centre] to Mr. Ghising," Mr. Bhattacharjee told the Assembly here today.

The Chief Minister said he had been left with no alternative but settle for this arrangement for the "sake of peace." For, "we do not want any confrontation [in the region], particularly in the wake of the developments in Nepal." The option had been considered on the ground that the fourth elections to the Council, which has already outlived its term, be held within six months. "Elections are the only democratic solution [to the stalemate in Darjeeling]."

The general council's term expires after March 26. But Mr. Ghising has been clamouring for a further deferment of the electoral process until his demand for an "alternative council" [with greater powers] is met. He also insisted on being given sole charge of any interim administrative arrangement in the Darjeeling hills till then.

Apparently pressured by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to accept the demand, Mr. Bhattacharjee, however, said: "I still believe that an administrative body, comprising representatives of political parties [of the region] with Mr. Ghising as chairman, would have been the right course."

While Dr. Singh, the National Security Adviser and the Union Home Minister agreed to the proposal at a recent meeting, Mr. Ghising insisted on being made the sole authority.

"With time running out, we were left with just a few days [since the meeting in New Delhi on March 19] and given the concerns shared by the Centre over the developments in neighbouring Nepal, I am having to accept this [alternative] as we can't take risks [with peace]," Mr. Bhattacharjee told the House.

However, despite having chosen "the only option left to it," the State Government was determined to ensure that polls for the new council are called within six months... I have told this to the Centre and will tell him [Mr. Ghising] too," he said and sought the cooperation of the Opposition on the issue.

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