Mamata’s Darjeeling trip plan brings cheer to govt,Hill groups

The state government was the first to welcome the Trinamool leader’s declaration.

“It is good that she is going there,” said Ashok Bhattacharya,Minister for Urban Development. “A host of Left Front leaders including Tourism minister Manab Mukherjee,PWD minister Kshiti Goswami and I have already visited Darjeeling. We have invited chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to visit there. This is how the process of bringing normalcy back to the Hills is being pursued.”

The All India Gorkha League said they had already sent a memorandum to Mamata,placing their demands before her. “We are looking forward to her visit here,” said Dawa Sherpa,working president of the Gorkha League.

Welcoming Mamata’s visit,the GJM,meanwhile,criticised the state government for inviting other political outfits for the talks. “We welcome Mamataji here,” said Morcha spokesperson Roshan Giri. “But we warn the state government that they should not play with fire by inviting others for talks who have no base in the Hills. This move of the state government is just aimed at destabilising the tripartite talks.”

On August 3,the state government had a meeting with representatives of groups like AIGL,GNLF (C) and the Sikkim Darjeeling Ekhikaran Manch. In the meeting,the government had placed the Centre’s proposal on the contours of the interim council for Darjeeling.

The next tripartite talks among the GJM,the Centre and the state is going to be held in Delhi on August 17.

On Thursday,the Morcha also got back into the agitation mode,ordering the closure of all DGHC offices from Friday. “Only the offices of the education department will be open on Fridays,” Giri said.