This Article is From Jun 09, 2012

GJM protests curtailed powers to Gorkha body

Kolkata: The pro-Gorkhaland Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Saturday threatened to launch another protest campaign.

It is upset that a committee set up for inclusion of additional areas in the proposed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in northern West Bengal recommended inclusion of only five areas into the hill development body.

The GJM wants 398 additional mouzas (a group of villages) spread over Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts to be included in the GTA.

The GTA is the new Hill Council that would run the administration in Darjeeling. It is armed with more powers than its predecessor, Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC).

The 10-member committee, headed by retired judge Shyamal Kumar Sen, submitted the report Friday night which was read out to reporters by West Bengal Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh Saturday.

"The recommendation is a farce. We do not accept this. The people of (Darjeeling Hills) are with us. We will go on a stir. We were hoping to get over 150 mouzas," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said.

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