Jan Andolan Party president Mr Harka Bahadur Chettri has strongly advocated that Kalimpong district should not come under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) functioning.

Addressing media persons after submitting a memorandum to the chief secretary Mr Basudev Banerjee on Monday, Mr Chettri said, “Kalimpong in its best interest should be kept aloof from the present administrative set up of the GTA which has anyway being run by the GJMM at large.”

“We believe that Kalimpong needs a Panchayati Raj system as it is not primarily a tea growing or forest area but an agricultural one. We believe that a Zilla Parishad will serve the people better than the present administrative set up of the GTA,”Mr Chettri has opined.


Further,JAP along with Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) had demanded additional areas to be incorporated in the new district of Kalimpong. Leadership of both the hill political outfits who met chief secretary Mr Basudev Banerjee on Monday before this administrative meet demanded areas along NH10 and NH 31 to be included in the new district. Speaking of the same, JAP party president Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri said, “The creation of a new district offers an opportunity for redrawing its boundaries on scientific and rational lines. “We have proposed that all lands north of NH 31 starting from Coronation Bridge towards Assam be included in Kalimpong district. “We have further demanded that areas along NH 10 from Sevoke to Rangpo, border of Sikkim be delimited into Kalimpong District along with all highway settlements and villages including Rambi and Kalijhora.”


He further added that JAP has laid many suggestions and concerns in planning the new district with the hope that some of the problems of mountain districts may be averted in advance.


In regard to urban planning, Mr Chettri commented that there is urgent need of advance planning of the district headquarters and sub-divisional towns to avert future congestion and breakdown of infrastructures.

“Kalimpong has abundant semi urban spaces available for scope of expansions in the Chhibo Busty and 12th Mile areas, unlike Darjeeling which faces the adverse situation in regard to tourism, administration and commerce owing for the same space,” he added.


Mr Chettri has suggested that that all future infrastructures should be moved out of central Kalimpong to these locations which will ease the pressure.


JAP has also laid the demand to put a moratorium in extracting ground water in Hills stressing that water supply for the planned sub-division headquarters must similarly be planned and conserved in order to provide for the coming decades.


Before the proposed two tier panchayat elections, JAP has demanded appointments of grassroot panchayat sahayaks and other officers to enable a linkage between government departments and the people.


JAP has proposed the establishment of an office of the National Disaster Management Agency or similar body of the state government highlighting the fragile nature of the ecosystem here.


Meanwhile GJMM party which was led by MLA Kalimpong, Mrs Sarita Rai has laid the demand of inclusion of all villages towards left side of NH 31 upto Kumani more which include areas of Elenbari,Bagracote, Rani Chira,Damdim,Saili, Samsing, Chilaune ,Mateli Sipchu in new district along with the areas of NH 10 from Tista to Sevoke 10th Mile Forest Village.


“The party has suggested formation of four new subdivisions of Kalimpong namely Sadar, Algarah, Gorubathan and Sinji and eight blocks within the new district of which the proposal have been earlier submitted to the government,” informed Mrs Rai.