The state government has agreed in principle to regularise 3,472 casual workers of the total of 6,300 at the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. This was declared by state Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen after meeting a seven-member delegation of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha today.

The employees had been demanding their regularisation for a long time and the GJM, spearheading the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland, had taken up their cause. There are 3,472 vacancies at DGHC and the state government has agreed to absorb casual workers in these posts. “We have to set up some guidelines for creating the remaining posts,” Sen said.

Interestingly, this is the first time the GJM has come to talk to state government officials on some issue other than the Gorkhaland demand.

The Morcha leaders thanked the state government for the gesture. “We have been demanding regularisation of the casual workers and the state government has agreed to that in principle. Now the details are being worked out,” GJM spokesperson Roshan Giri said, adding this did not mean any dilution of their demand for a separate Gorkhaland.