GTA bill passed

Paving the way for the formation of a new autonomous council in Darjeeling, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill 2011 was passed in the assembly on Friday, but with 54 amendments. Of these, 53 were moved by the government, accepting the demands of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. The government also accepted an amendment moved by opposition leader Surjya Kanta Mishra, relating to provision for reservation of seats in the GTA Sabha for SCs and STs. The state buckled under pressures from the GJM that wanted it to transfer financial and administrative powers along with executive powers to the GTA. It was incorporated in the amended version of the Bill that GTA would strive to establish ethnic identity of the Gorkhas as well as expediting their socio-economic, educational, cultural and linguistic development. The unnecessary mentions of the word ‘Sabha’ was dropped from the draft. Speaking on the Bill, chief minister Mamata Banerjee explained that the Centre would carry out the necessary constitutional amendment to make provision for a zilla parishad in Darjeeling. GJM member Harka Bahadur Chhetri explained that earlier the zilla parishad in Darjeeling had been abolished because the outgoing DGHC was functioning as zilla parishad. Accepting GJM’s demand, the amended Bill dropped the provision of the governor nominating two members to the Executive Sabha. All the 14 members of the Executive Sabha would now be nominated by the chief executive of GTA. The principal secretary of GTA would not be transferred for a period of two years after assumption of office without consent of GTA. While the government in the draft Bill had agreed to delegate to GTA the power to make appointments only in Group-D posts, the amended version delegated to GTA also power to make appointments in Groups-B and C posts. In a significant step, the government accepted an amendment moved by the leader of the opposition providing for reservation of seats in GTA Sabha for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs.It appeared that GJM agreed to the amendment with reluctance. The CM also said that the governor who could nominate five members to the GTA sabha could also give nomination to representatives from these categories. The chief minister announced that a development board would be set up for the Lepchas of Darjeeling under the state government. She said the government was taking steps to ensure that there was no discord between Gorkhas and adivasis in the process of identification of additional areas in Dooars and Terai for inclusion in GTA. She said Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad had been misguided by vested political interests. She accused the previous Left Front government of not being serious in addressing the problem of Darjeeling.