GTA demands immediate fund from Centre and state

Even after three months have passed since the formation of the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders as well as the GTA executives are unhappy about the fact that the Centre and state governments are yet to start releasing funds for the Hill body. The GTA is supposed to receive Rs 200 crore per year as grant from the Centre, which is yet to take effect. The Hill body fears that the new equation between Delhi and Kolkata following the pull out of support might affect the functioning of the GTA.

GJM MLA Harka Bahadur Chetri said, "We are yet to get any funds for development from the Central and the state government. We were told that there are some difficulties in releasing funds. What those difficulties are, we do not know. We are facing problem due to the delay. Our people compromised, and did not ask for a separate state, for the sake of development of the area. But we are not able to do that because of the delay in releasing of funds."

"We can understand that the Central government is not taking us seriously after the Centre and state relationship worsened. But they both had agreed on the treaty to give us the funds for the developmental projects," he added.

According to sources in the GTA, GJM leaders were reportedly asked by the Central government to submit the projects first for getting the funds. A senior executive of the GTA said, "We have already submitted the detailed project reports (DPR) for ten projects worth Rs 180 crore. But the funds did not come yet and we are not able to start work."

Chhetri further added, "We have started facing public pressure on the Telengana development also. If the Centre agrees on the Telengana state, our people would blame us and say that we have sold out the movement. If we could start the developmental works and show the people that we have got considerable autonomy, we could have avoided the infavourable situation in the area."

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