Two ministers will represent state govt at Gorkha talks

The state government will send two of its ministers to participate in the political-level talks on the issue of Gorkhaland,scheduled for March 18.

The state government will send two of its ministers to participate in the political-level talks on the issue of Gorkhaland,scheduled for March 18. The venue for the latest round of tripartite talks between the Centre,Bengal government and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM),which is demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland,has not yet been finalised even though there is a strong possibility that it will be held in New Delhi.

Two ministers from the state government will participate in the talks,but their names will be decided by the chief minister. We hope some positive development will take place in the meeting, said Ashok Bhattacharya,Minister for Urban Development.

Bhattacharya,however,ruled himself out of the talks. I am their (GJMs) enemy number one. So I dont think I will be there, the minister further said. He expressed hope that the GJM would be happy with the offer of a better form of Hill Council with more financial and administrative powers.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday announced that the next level of talks among the three parties will be held on March 18. He,however,did not elaborate on who all from the Central government will attend the meeting. According to sources,Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken will represent the Central government at the talks.

The GJM is also yet to decide on its representative for the talks. It was the GJM,which had demanded the political-level talks and we are happy that the Centre has accepted it, said Morcha spokesperson Roshan Giri.

It was at the fourth round of tripartite talks held in Darjeeling on December 21 last year that the Morcha had demanded the need to hold political-level talks.

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