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Sixth Schedule status for Gorkha Hill Council

Tripartite Memorandum of Settlement signed between the Centre, West Bengal Government and GNLF

FOR GREATER AUTONOMY: Home Minister Shivraj Patil flanked by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (left) and Gorkha National Liberation Front chief Subhas Ghising after the signing of a Memorandum of Settlement, in New Delhi on Tuesday. — Photo: Shanker Chakravarty.

New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday announced Sixth Schedule status to the GNLF-led Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, which would ensure greater autonomy to the governing body in the hill district of West Bengal.

A tripartite Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) was signed here between the Centre, West Bengal Government and the Subhas Ghising-led Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) after two days of hectic deliberations. The agreement was signed by Union Home Secretary V. K. Duggal, West Bengal Home Secretary Amit Kiran Deb and Subhas Ghising in the presence of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya.

Mr. Patil said the Amendment Bill to grant Sixth Schedule status to the DGHC on the lines of such district councils in the North-East is likely be introduced in the budget session of Parliament.

Under the Sixth Schedule, the district council will get more powers similar to those enjoyed by the Autonomous District Councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.

The Home Minister said: "With the signing of the Memorandum, the DGHC will have status of districts under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and will have legislative and executive powers and will fulfil the desires of the people. A Bill to amend the Constitution will be introduced in Parliament. Once passed elections will be held to the Council."

The West Bengal Chief Minister said the Hill Council would now have constitutional guarantees and status under the Sixth Schedule.

UNI

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