Indian Gorkhas: GTA-2

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Mamata Banerjee to lay foundation of first state university in Darjeeling - Binay Tamang

6:37 PM

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Vivek Chhetri, TT, Jul 14, 2018, Darjeeling: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will lay the foundation of a state university in Darjeeling next month, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief Binay Tamang said on Friday.

Tamang made the announcement at a GTA event to mark the 204th birth anniversary of Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya here and said the varsity would be located at Mungpoo, 30km from Darjeeling town. The choice of Mungpoo has special significance: it is the place where Rabindranath Tagore stayed in the hills. It is now home to cinchona plantations.

"Chief minister Mamata Banerjee spoke to me (on Thursday). She told us she would lay the foundation of the state university in Mungpoo when she visits the hills next month," Tamang said on Friday.

The demand for a separate university has been an old one. The Tamang-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has long sought one. "The central university never came through but we are confident the state university will be functional from 2020," Tamang said.

EOI: Gorkhaland Territorial Adminstration chairman Binoy Tamang on Friday on the occasion of the Bhanubhakta Puruskar programme revealed the decision of the West Bengal government to set up a state university in Mungpo in Darjeeling.
Mungpo, incidentally, is full of memories of Rabindranath Tagore.
Tamang said he had a discussion with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the sidelines of the Tea Advisory Council (TAC) meeting at Uttarkanya in Siliguri on Thursday with the demand that was first raised by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha GJM after its formation in 2007. “Today is not the right forum, but still I would like to share good news with the people of the hills. I had a meeting with the Bengal CM on Thursday and raised the issue of a Central university for the hills, which has been a long standing demand. Ten years have gone but those who had raised it (in reference to his predecessor Bimal Gurung)
failed to achieve anything. But today I would like to announce that within a month the Chief Minister will be in the hills to lay the foundation stone for a state university in Mungpo,” Tamang said.
After the 104-day agitation and strike were withdrawn in September 27, 2017, the Bengal Chief Minister during a state function had announced that a state university would be established in the hills. She had directed the district administration to identify the land where the university would come up. “The issue of land was taken up during review meetings with the state government, district administration and the GTA. The Darjeeling district administration had identified a land in Mungpo where the state university will be set-up,” Tamang said in the presence of the Darjeeling district magistrate.
GJM under Gurung had raised, among other demands, the issue of establishing a Central
university in the hills with the BJP-led Central government. GJM had also requested Darjeeling M.P. Jaswant Singh (in 2009) and S.S. Ahluwalia(2014) to take up the issue with the BJP top brass and the Central government but nothing concrete has materialized yet.
For higher education, students from the hills students have either to go to the North Bengal University in Siliguri or to other cities incurring additional expenses and inconveniences to parents.

Via Telegraph

Darjeeling, Kalimpong to benefit from 'Nijo Griho Nijo Bhumi Prokolpo'

7:34 AM

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West Bengal

Darjeeling: Now, Darjeeling and Kalimpong will finally benefit from "Nijo Griho Nijo Bhumi Prokolpo" of the Bengal government.

The scheme is being routed through the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in the Hills. The "Nijo Griho Nijo Bhumi Prokolpo" was launched on October 18, 2011 by the Chief Minister of Bengal, whereby 5 decimal of land is provided to the homeless, landless beneficiaries.

"This scheme along with the rest of Bengal was earlier available in the GTA area. Initially 25% of the applicants benefitted from the scheme. However, the scheme was stopped under the GTA. We have decided to reintroduce the scheme again through the GTA and have been given a go ahead by the State Government," stated Binay Tamang, Chairman, GTA.

In a meeting on May 14, the GTA and state government officials decided to reintroduce this scheme in the Hills. A follow up meeting was held at the GTA Chairman's office in Darjeeling on Friday attended by Land reform Officers, Block Officers and GTA officials.

"Application made earlier will also be processed along with fresh ones. Earlier there was hardly any promotion of the scheme in the Hills, hardly anyone knew about the scheme. This time, we will be giving advertisements in newspapers and TV channels so that people come to know about the scheme and the deserving ones get the benefit," added Tamang.

Applicants can submit applications in Block Offices, Block Land and Land Reforms Office and Gram Panchayat offices as per their convenience.

Committees have been constituted in each of the 8 blocks comprising Block Development Officer, Block Land and Land Reforms Officer and a member of the Board of Administrators, GTA.

Applications for the Kalimpong 1, Kurseong, Mirik, Sukhiapokhari, Rungli Rungliot and Darjeeling - Poolbazar Block will be received from June 4 to June 9. For Kalimpong 2 block, it will be from June 11 to 16 and for Gorubathan block from June 18 to 23.

The applications will be scrutinised by the committee formed in each block and then will be recommended by the Sub Divisional Land and Land Reforms Officer to the GTA. The GTA will then forward the list to the state following which land documents will be handed over by the state government.

When questioned on the fate of tea garden workers, who have been demanding documents since long, Tamang stated: "Tea gardens are leased land of the State Government. The workers can apply. The concerned departments and the state government will then decide," added Tamang.

[Via: Millennium Post]

Rohingya entry in the hill rumours, says Binoy Tamang

5:00 PM

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Politics

SNS, Darjeeling/Kurseong, 29 April 2018: The chairman of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Board of Administrators, Binoy Tarnang, has put to rest speculations that a group of Rohingya Muslims may have found their way up to the Hills.

Two youth leaders of a national party and some other local leaders and political parties have been misleading the Hill people by highlighting the Rohingyas in a wrong way for their own vested interests and keeping in mind the upcoming 2015 parliamentary elections," he said at a programme in Kurseong yesterday.

A video showing a group of Muslims getting down from a bus in Kalimpong had gone viral very recently, fuelling speculations that they may be Rohingya refugees.

Fugitive leader of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) Bimal Gurung had alleged that the state government may have been trying to have Rohiugyas settled down in the region, while leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, Pratap Khati had written to the Kalmpong District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, urging them to look into the matter.

"The people who have reached Kalimpong are actually Indian citizens and students from a polytechnic college in Kolkata who have come to visit the place." Mr. Tamang said, adding that as the GTA chairman,he has been monitoring the issue seriously.

According to him, he will leave the GTA if anybody provides him proof of even a single camp of Rohingyas in Darjeeling Hills.

Defending the state government, Mr Tamang said that Darjeeling Hills or North Bengal is surrounded by international borders guarded by central forces and "not by the state government or Nabanna."

Mr. Tamang also issued a press release today and said that the rumours were the handiwork of political parties outside Darjeeling, which have set their eyes on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"This is a ploy of parties outside Darjeeling to destabilize the Hills that are gradually getting back to normal (after last year's violent Gorkhaland agitation), while these parties have set their eyes on the 2019 general elections and are trying to take political mileage by spreading violence again." Mr Tamang said. He further urged all the Hill people to ignore such false campaign and rumours and keep intact Darjeeling unity and communal harmony.

Sns

GTA please speak against the entry of the Rohingas in the hills

7:26 PM

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Open Letter

(An open letter to the B.O.A , Gorkhaland Territorial Administration by Prashant Tamang)

To,
Mr Binay Tamang (Chairman)
Mr Anit Thapa (Vice Chairman)
Mr Sanchabir Subba (Executive member)

This is to bring to your knowledge the entry of the Rohingas in the hills today which to us seems to be a part of a very futuristic political move by the Govt of West Bengal to over rule our own place by creating a different majority other than that of ours making it easy to paralyse our demand of a separate state and slowly bring an end to the demand of Gorkhaland forever . It is now your duty as that B.O.A of G.T.A to look forward to this serious issue and act likewise to the matter in favour and support of the betterment of the hills . The videos of the entry of the Rohingas now going viral in social media is strong enough to prove the above stated issue and the danger over our place and people.

If you all are compelled by any crimes of the past or any corruption of the past that still hold you all dumb to react to this serious issue than it would be best of you to resign from the B.O.A of the G.T.A so that making it clear for the people of the hills to speak out for Justice ourselves . Please don't just keep your mind set to developments , contracts , contractors and other monetary issues because now your reign in the hills has slowly started to result in the collapse of the demand of the people of the hills that is Gorkhaland which must be crystal clear to you all but you still staying dumb to this serious issue seems to be your compulsion in some reason based upon you which is a direct hamper to our place and people.

We all have no choice but to hope for the best for our people and place from your side that is the B.O.A of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration so we request and expect you to urgently react to the matter in the best way possible for the betterment of the hills and the people living here.

On behalf of the people .

( *Please SHARE to help to alert everyone as much as possible )

GNLF TO GHERAO GTA HEADQUARTER LAL KOTHI ON 4TH MAY

7:30 AM

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Tea Garden

GNLF'S sister wing Himalayan Planters Workers Union [ HPWU] today in a press conference at Darjeeling said that they will gherao GTA headquarter LAL KOTHI on 4th May demanding the immediate release of the daily wages of the labours which they are yet to receive of the 104 days strike.

Speaking with the press HPWU President JB Tamang said that on 4th May we have decided to involve workers from all the tea gardens of Darjeeling hills as they are the ones who are discriminated .

We will be picketing in different places like Rohini, Sukna, Bagpool and Panighata from 27th April where all the central committee members of the HPWU will participate keeping in mind the 7 point demand for the welfare of the tea garden workers said Tamang. He further said we have decided these places for picketing as these places are the main doorway to transport pukka tea to Siliguri from the hills.

Workers from different tea gardens had participated whole heartedly during the movement for the seperate state Gorkhaland. But the leaders both Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa who were at the forefront during the movement have accepted GTA , but they have not taken any step for the tea garden workers said Tamang.

He further said that we are hearing that vice chairman of GTA Anit Thapa is distributing umbrellas to the workers, but they don't need umbrellas they need their wages of 104 days. Since both Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa are not taking any initiative at the demands of the tea garden workers thus to keep the demands of the workers we will gherao GTA headquarter on 4th May said Tamang.

Binay Tamang and Pawan Chamling met in Sikkim, decides to work together

6:23 PM

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Sikkim

Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa met Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Chamling today at Mintokgang in Sikkim.

Dr Pawan Chamling in the social media wrote the following :-

I met Shri Binay Tamang, GTA Chairman at Mintokgang today.

Following in the lines of my meeting with Ms Mamata Banerjee, Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal earlier, we decided to bury the past and give a new beginning to our relationship by giving full support and co-operation to each other for the progress and prosperity of Sikkim and the Darjeeling Hills. As immediate neighbours with similar customs, traditions, language etc, it is imperative that we live in harmony with each other as fellow Indians. We decided to work collectively on various matters for the welfare of the people of Sikkim and the Darjeeling Hills. Welcoming the decision of Shri Binay Tamang that there would be no more political disturbance in the Hills in future, I suggested that they should bring in the ‘revolution of development’ instead of resorting to violence and bandhs, which will only result in destruction. Additionally, I reiterated our stand that the Government of Sikkim will never meddle in the affairs of West Bengal and Darjeeling Hills.

Following are some of the highlights of our discussion:-
1. I raised the subject of security and safety of NH10 which is essential for the well-being of Sikkim and the Sikkimese people. I am pleased to share that Shri Binay Tamang gave the assurance to keep it free from encumbrances in future. His suggestion of establishing a helpline for NH10 is also well taken. Similarly, assurance was also given for the safety of Sikkimese students studying in various educational institutions in the Hills.

2. Sikkim and the Darjeeling Hills will take up certain issues jointly with the Central Government, such as tribal status for eleven left out communities, overhead stations for the upcoming railway line, and construction of towers of hydel projects without taking the consent of the State Government or GTA, as the case may be.

3. Consensus to be arrived at regarding reciprocal transport arrangement (plying of taxis) through Secretary level dialogue. Similarly, Government of Sikkim and GTA authorities should discuss and deliberate upon creation of a tourist circuit comprising Sikkim and the Darjeeling Hills.

4. Surveillance on both sides to be strengthened so no untoward incidents take place. Special attention should be given to border areas like Sombaria, Daramdin, Rhenock through which chemical fertilizers are being smuggled into Sikkim.

5. Government of Sikkim and GTA authorities to work out measures for construction and upgradation of roads and bridges in some areas.

6. Grant-in-aid to be provided by Government of Sikkim to Bhutia Busty Monastery and Mahakal Temple at Darjeeling as done in the past.

This meeting have led to local political critics thinking That the meeting have boost the credibility of Binay Tamang and also that the Chief minister of Sikkim Mr Pawan Chamling too has recognized his position. This also raises a question that whether Sikkim have started alienating itself from NDA and forging hands with non NDA forces?

हामी जनतालाई भ्रष्टचारमुक्त शाषण दिनेछौँ – विनय तामाङ

9:23 AM

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Politics

करोडपति ठेकादार ‘ब्ल्याक लिस्ट’ मा समावेश

डी.के.वाइबा, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 23 मार्च। ‘हामी जनतालाई भ्रष्टचारमुक्त शाषण दिनेछौँ’ उक्त कुरा जीटीए बोर्ड अफ् एडमिनिस्ट्रेसनका अध्यक्ष विनय तामाङले भनेका हुन्। यहाँको डा. ग्राह्मस होम्स स्थित दुईवटा विकास कार्यहरूको उद्घाटन कार्यक्रमलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै तामाङले जीटीएलाई भ्रष्टचार मुक्त बनाउने दाबी गरेका हुन्। ‘हामीलाई विकास कार्यमा प्रतिशत खाँदैनौँ, तर जनतालाई गुणस्तरीय कार्य गरेर सुविधा दिनेछौँ’ विनय तामाङले भने। कार्यक्रमलाई सम्बोधन गर्ने क्रममा उनले जनतालाई विकास कार्यको सुविधा दिन अनि विकास कार्यलाई तिव्रता दिनका निम्ति कालेबुङ ईञ्जीनियरिङ विभागलाई फराकिलो पार्दै खण्डस्तरीय ईञ्जिनियरिङ विभाग स्थापना गर्ने जीटीए वोर्डको समिक्षा वैठकमा निर्णय लिएको पनि जानकारी दिएका छन्।

‘जीटीएले खण्डस्तरीय ईञ्जीनियरिङ विभाग गठन गर्नेछ। प्रत्येक खण्डमा विकास कार्यलाई तिव्रता दिन यसो गरिएको हो। यो कार्य आगामी महिनाको पहिलो तारिखदेखि लागु हुनेछ’ तामाङले अझ भने। उनले उक्त खण्ड स्तरीय विभागले प्रत्येक विकास कार्यहरूको साप्ताहिक समिक्षा रिपोर्ट जीटीएलाई पठाउनुपर्ने पनि निर्देश दिएका छन्।

यसक्रममा उनले विकास कार्यलाई तिव्रता दिएर जनतालाई छिटो सुविधा दिनका निम्ति ठेकादारहरूलाई पनि निर्धारित समय सिमाभित्र सबै कार्यहरू समाप्त गर्नुपर्ने निर्देश दिएका छन्। काम नगर्ने ठेकादारहरूलाई आफुहरूले कार्वाही सुरु गरेको भन्दै एकजना करोडपति ठेकादारलाई सही काम नगरेको कारण ‘ब्ल्याक लिस्ट’ मा समावेश गरिएको पनि जानकारी दिएका छन्। उनले डेलोमा सम्पन्न जीटीएको समिक्षा वैठकमा विभिन्न कार्यहरूको समिक्षा भएको जानकारी दिँदै आगामी वर्षहरूमा हुने कार्यहरूको खाका तयारी गर्ने कार्य गरेको पनि जानकारी दिएका छन्।

तामाङले आज डा. ग्राह्मस होम्स परिसरमा निर्माण गरिएको प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य केन्द्र अनि स्व. मङ्गलसिंह राजपुत स्मृति सामुदायिक भवनको उद्घाटन गरेका छन्। जीटीए अधिनस्थ रहेको स्वास्थ्य एवम् परिवार कल्याण विभागद्वारा मोठ 12 लाख 77 हजार 8 सय 57 रूपियाँको लागतमा प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य केन्द्रको निर्मण गरिएको छ भने कालेबुङ अभियन्ता विभागद्वारा 1 करोड 60 लाखको लागतमा सामुदायिक भवन निर्माण गरिएको छ।

दुवैवटा विकास कार्यहरूको जीटीए अध्यक्ष विनय तामाङले रिबन काटेर उद्घाटन गरेका हुन्। यसक्रममा उनले अहिलेघरी प्रत्येक दिननै प्रत्येक ठाउँमा जनताको विकास कार्यहरूको सुविधा उपभोग गर्न पाइरहेको दाबी पनि गरेका छन्। उक्त उद्घाटन समारोहमा जीटीए उपाध्यक्ष अनित थापा, कार्यकारी सदस्य सञ्चवीर सुब्बा, मुख्य सचिव सुब्रतो विश्वास, सचिव सी. मुरुगण आदि समेत उपस्थित रहेका थिए।

500 crores for GTA

12:27 PM

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West Bengal

Since the month of June, the Gorkhaland Agitation has damaged and destroyed many Government and private properties in the Darjeeling hills. Within this three months, many violent incidents took place like burning down of the offices, properties, conducting raids and many others.As a result, the loss of the total properties approximately is more than one thousand crores.

The Chairman of GTA Binay Tamang had demanded the allocation of fund to the State Government for the initiation of renovating works of the damaged properties and also to restart the various development works which have been in complete halt since June in the hills.

Responding to the same the Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has allocated Rs 500 crores for the development of hills yesterday.Chief Minister has clearly said that the above fund has to be utilized in a proper way, especially keeping in mind the cleanliness of the hills.

According to their plan, the GTA has to submit the fund utilization certificate to the State government. After that, the State Government will again allocate the funds.

As per source, the GTA members are quite satisfied with 500 crores allocated by the State government for the development of the hills.

Via Darjeelinghills

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