STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Kalimpong, 22 September

State chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee today indirectly indicted the functioning of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and hit out at the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) without naming it during her Kalimpong visit.

“We have sanctioned GTA a total budget of Rs 4,000 crore that comprises both plan and non-plan funds for reinforcing development across the hills. But even after four and a half year of their being in power, they have not developed the Hills.

I can’t do much as we have transferred almost all departments to GTA,” the chief minister said today.
“Further, functioning of GTA is not in our hands. Despite these circumstances, I am developing the Hills through different development boards.” the CM said
while addressing the function to mark the 5th Foundation Day of Mayel Lyang Lepcha development board at Mela Ground here today.
“We have neither MP, MLA or councillor here. But I love you all, which
makes me come here time and again. I am not here to give political statements but to congratulate you all for the launch of Kalimpong as a district,” the chief minister added.

Speaking in the context of the municipality and panchayat elections in Darjeeling hills,Miss Banerjee stated that owing to the lack of elections, the panchayat areas are progressing at a low pace. She maintained that the state government is ready to conduct the election and soon will approach the Election Commission in this regard.
Speaking on the ongoing row over temporary teachers under the GTA, Miss Banerjee said that the future of the temporary teachers is being played with. Sometimes they are appointed and in other instances kicked out from their jobs. She promised to place the problem of temporary teachers before the state education board and resolve the issue within 6
months.She was addressing the temporary teachers who were present at Mela Ground to hear the CM.
Miss Banerjee distributed a total of Rs 72.39 crores to nine different development boards. The recently constituted Kami, Lepcha and Mangar boards recieved a cheque of Rs 10 crore each, whereas the Sherpa and Bhutia boards received Rs 8.40 crores each, Khambu Rai board received Rs 7.35 crore,whereas Sarki,Damai and Limbu board were handed
a cheque of rupees 5 crore each.
In addition, a fund of Rs 3.24 crore was handed over to the Lepcha night school.
CM expressed her happiness at the working of the development boards,maintaining that if they continue to work for development
the government will release more funds in near future.
Earlier, Miss Banerjee laid the foundation stones of a Lepcha Youth Hostel,
a hundred-bedded Girls Hostel and School with hostel facilities and hostel-cumwelfare centre at Siliguri under MLLDB.She further inaugurated 10 new government projects, which include eight cottages under Morgan house tourist lodge Kalimpong, a new treasury building in Kalimpong,marketing
hub at Suruk Samthar Block I Kalimpong and HDU centre at Kalimpong Sub Division Hospital.
Miss Banerjee at the same time inaugurated police station and force barrack to be constructed at Sukhiapokri, office of DSP Traffic and police force barrack at Bidhananagar Investigation Centre at Vimbore, auditorium
of Minority house in Darjeeling,Road from Palangooch to Malogooch under
Phasidewa Block and beautification of adjacent area of Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital from the Mela Ground.
She also laid the foundation of the New Jalpiaguri Police Station and community hall to be constructed in Sukhiapokri area. The programme was
attended by minister Aroop Biswas, Gautam Dev, Indranil Sen, Chief Secretary Basudev Banerjee,Surajit Kar Purkayastha, DG & IGP WB and chairman of North Bengal board for development of sports and games Bhichung Bhutia. Meanwhile, reacting to chief minister’s comment on the GTA, the GJMM general secretary Mr Roshan Giri said, “The chief minister
should understand that due to state government’s interference in the GTA’s work as well as due to lack of adequate funds and without full transfer of departments to the GTA, they (GTA) have been unable to initiate
enough development projects.