Mamta Banerjee resolves Darjeeling dispute

Mamta Banerjee resolves Darjeeling dispute

Mamta Banerjee resolves Darjeeling dispute

7 June, New Delhi: In a significant development, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that she resolved the Darjeeling dispute after signing a pack with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).
Mamata also said that she has already informed the Union Home Ministry about the agreement. According to Mamata, West Bengal Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh would talk to the Centre in this regard.
A meeting of the Centre, West Bengal government and the GJM may be held in Darjeeling shortly to formalise the agreement.
The agreement signed between Mamata Banerjee and GJM does not talk about a separate state of Gorkhaland, which has been the main demand of the GJM for long.
A new autonomous body will be set up which will be powered with more financial, executive and administrative powers. It will have more powers than then Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Act. The bill to set up the new autonomous body will be passed in the next assembly session.
A committee will be formed with the representatives from the West Bengal government, GJM and the Centre that will decide which Gorkha-dominated areas will be the part of the autonomous body.