STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Kalimpong, 14 November 

Jan Andolan Party (JAP) has replied to allegations labelled by Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) chief,Mr Bimal Gurung from a public meeting at Kalimpong Mela Ground on Sunday.

Speaking with media persons here today, JAP President Mr Harka Bahadur Chettri said, “I would like to coin GJMM slated Delhi dharna program as ‘Tamasha’. Instead,GJMM should do the same inside the parliament as it has its supported MP.When GJMM has its coalition party at the centre,why can’t they pressurise their MP to place forward the Bill for separate
state. The Delhi plan is merely intended to save the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chair.”

Meanwhile, taking on GJMM Mr Chettri added, “JAP will do a program in the winter session of Parliament. Issues such as handing of Paracha Patta,redressal NH 10 and NH 55 conditions, water shortage and Panchayat are the ones we are involved at large.Bimal Gurung had asked about our agenda and it’s not our duty to show them our program.

As for GJMM,Gorkhaland isssue is like Elephant teeth~one to show off and the other one to chew with. GJMM only raises the issue of Gorkhaland when any
elections approach near.”

Replying to a query, Mr Chettri informed that when he was the MLA of Kalimpong for a tenure of five years, he had raised the issue of drinking water
crisis multiple times in Bidhansabha.“Then the PHE Minister Subroto Mukherjee had replied that the PHE is a transfer subject to GTA which has a separate allotment.Meanwhile, a sum of 10 crore for addressing the water problem from RIDF head was allotted to the GTA but GJMM never kept transparency in their work for which we will soon file a RTI.

“Being a responsible party,we recently visited the PHE sources and expose the department negligence. On the other hand, instead of ordering an enquiry, Mr Bimal Gurung has been defending the department”, he alleged.