GMM threatens to stop work on power projects

CJ: Kumar Sarkar
After a brief lull, the hills of Darjeeling threaten to become restive again. The Gorkha Mukti Morcha has now threatened to stop construction work in two hydel power projects being set up by the National Hydel Power Corporation..
THE LEFT Front government’s rejection of the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland by the Gorkha Mukti Morcha (GMM) has once again signalled unrest in the hills. This time, however, the disruption planned is of a severe nature and could be deemed an anti-social act.
The chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s assurance of greater autonomy for the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) failed to appease the Morcha leadership, which has rejected the offer. It is sticking to its demand for a separate state where it wants the inclusion of the foothill town of Siliguri and the sprawling lush green Dooars, famous for its tea and timber.
The Morcha has embarked on a plan, which is likely to bring it into a direct confrontation with the Centre and the state. The Morcha has threatened to stop work on two power projects under construction in the hills as of June 7. The threat was delivered through a news agency.
The Morcha wants to put a spanner in the works in the Teesta Low Dam projects III and IV. The two projects are being built at a cost of Rs 1,830 crores. Morcha leaders have also threatened to close down the offices of the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) in the hills of Darjeeling district. The Morcha leadership’s contention is that the hydel power projects are being set up drawing on the resources of the hills but they would end up supplying electricity to the plains of West Bengal. The parochial tone of the Morcha leaders seems all but evident, given that no such decision has been announced.
The 111 megawatt Teesta Low Dam Project III being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 768.92 crores is slated to be completed by the end of this year. The on going 132 mega watt Teesta Low Dam Project IV being built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,061.38 crores is slated for completion by September 2009.
In the course of reviving the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland, which was first spearheaded by the Gorkha National Liberation Front supremo Subhas Ghisingh over 20 years ago, the Morcha is gearing up to take on the Centre. Ghisingh, was careful not to annoy the Centre. On the contrary, he kept his channels to the Centre open through former Union Home Minister, Buta Singh. During Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure, the Congress government sided with Ghisngh blatantly to needle the Left Front government in West Bengal. Though it had no intentions of carving up West Bengal by creating a separate state of Gorkhaland, political expediency seemed to have demanded that the GNLF remain a thorn in the Left government’s side.
The Morcha, in yet another departure, is seeking to disrupt work in hydel power projects where the central agency, the NHPC, is involved and had earlier threatened that hill residents would stop paying taxes, telephone bills and the like.(Merinews)

Morcha gives ultimatum

Darjeeling, May 29: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today set a June 27 deadline for the Bengal government to dissolve the DGHC and create a separate state comprising Darjeeling, the Dooars and the Terai.
Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri made the announcement following a marathon meeting of the central committee at the party’s head office in Patlabas here.
“We believe that the council that was set up in 1988 has failed to fulfil the aspiration of the hill people… The council had also left out Siliguri, Terai and the Dooars. The central committee has unanimously decided to start an agitation if our June 27 deadline to dissolve the council is not met. The only alternative that we are demanding is Gorkhaland,” Giri.
The general secretary neither spelt out the details of the agitation, nor spoke about the fate of the contractual employees currently working in the council.
However, Morcha president Bimal Gurung told DGHC contractual workers at Darjeeling Gymkhana Club early this morning that none of them would lose their jobs.
“I will not make you fight for Gorkhaland on empty stomach or by dousing your hearth. Rest assured that no matter what, no one would be able to take your jobs. You are all getting a meagre salary but the days are not far when you would be receiving a good salary,” Gurung told the large gathering.
The DGHC employs around 8,000 workers on six-month contracts and pays them between Rs 2,000 and 3,500 a month. Ever since Gurung started talking about the need to dissolve the council, these workers have been afraid of losing their jobs.
In another development, 104 gram panchayat pradhans from across the hills today resigned in support of Gorkhaland. “Of the 112 pradhans in the hills, 104 have resigned. The other seats belong to the GNLF, CPM and other political parties,” said Binay Tamang, the media and publicity secretary of the Morcha.
Although the state government had dissolved the gram panchayats in 2005 and did not hold elections after that, the pradhans were later appointed presidents of village committees overseeing the implementation of the 100-day work scheme. The pradhans/presidents also issue birth certificates.
“For us, nothing is more important than Gorkhaland, “ said Urmila Singh, the pradhan of Bijanbari.
The state government has not reacted to the en-masse resignation yet. (The Telegraph)

Darjeeling pradhans resign over statehood

DARJEELING, May 29: To facilitate the Gorkhaland movement, panchayat pradhans and upa-pradhans of all the three Darjeeling hill sub-divisions submitted their resignation before the district authority today. “We are resigning from our respective posts as the panchayat has become an obstacle for attaining statehood,” said Mr Anjum Chauhan, pradhan of Pokhriabong gram panchayat.Elections to the 112 gram panchayats under the DGHC governed areas has been withheld since 2005 after the DGHC administrator Mr Subash Ghisingh raised the issue of dissolving the DGHC following which all the councilors had resigned. “We have been serving our posts voluntarily without honorarium. There was no accountability of funds allotted to gram panchayats during Mr Ghisingh’s tenure,” Mr Chauhan alleged.During the past one year though, the state government was implementing the 100-day employment scheme under the NREGS in these areas. “We were appointed president for the NREGS schemes but without any real power. The government managed the funds and the salaries of the workers,” said Mrs Tshering Bhutia, pradhan of Rangbull gram panchayat. Among the 112 gram panchayats, post bearers of 102 affiliated to the GJMM resigned today while the remaining 10 affiliated to the CPRM were absent. Altogether 63 gram panchayats from Mirik, Kurseong, Bijanbari, Sukhia and Takda blocks submitted their resignation before the ADM, Mrs Zimba in Darjeeling today. Remaining 39 gram panchayats resigned before Kalimpong SDO Mr Sherpa. (The Statesman)