KOLKATA: In a bid to improve ties with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the West Bengal
government on Monday passed a bill in the assembly paving the way for
routing of state government funds for municipalities in Darjeeling
through the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
(GTA). None of the three GJM legislators was, however, present in the
House when the bill was passed. Since the souring of relations between
GJM and chief minister Mamata Banerjee earlier this year, the GJM legislators have been staying away from the assembly.

Participating in the debate over the West Bengal Municipal (Amendment)
Bill 2013, municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim said the amendment
was necessary as earlier, funds to the Hills municipalities used to be
routed through the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), but now GTA
has replaced DGHC. tnn

It may be mentioned, however, that the
Darjeeling municipality, at one stage, had preferred to receive
municipal funds directly from the state government, instead of it being
routed through GTA. Hakim said in the lobby this was not possible as the
GTA agreement laid it down that municipal funds must be routed through
GTA. GJM controls GTA as well as the Darjeeling municipality.

CPM leader Anisur Rahman said the state government should call an
all-party meeting to discuss the Darjeeling situation in the wake of
renewal of the Gorkhaland demand. He said the government had formed the
GTA in a hurry, but the problems in the Hills were severe.