Morcha asked people not to be tax

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has appealed to the people in the Darjeeling hills to stop paying electricity bills and land tax from April onwards as part of its agitation for Gorkhaland.

The Morcha has also made a new list of offices which will be kept out of the indefinite closure programme starting from Monday.

“Apart from banks, ATMs and civic bodies, we have also decided to let post offices remain open for the convenience of the people,” said Binay Tamang, media and publicity secretary of the Morcha.

The Food Corporation of India offices across the hills will remain open from Monday to Wednesday every week. “We will allow the employees attached with emergency services of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited and the telephone exchanges to go about their jobs,” said Tamang.

The administrative office of NHPC, which is setting up two power plants along the Teesta near Rambi, will remain closed. “But we will allow them to carry on with construction work,” added Tamang.

The Morcha will allow emergency sectors like the power plant in Ramman to function along with fire stations and hospitals.

In a message to the people, Tamang said: “We appeal to hill residents to refrain from paying electricity bills and land tax from April onwards as part of our agitation to demand Gorkhaland.”

According to electricity board norms, non-payment of a bill could result in disconnection of supply.

Members of the Gorkha Nari Morcha today sat in front of the district magistrate’s office in Darjeeling to prevent the official from entering.

Although the party has not laid down any precondition for lifting the ban on the district magistrate, letters written by the Morcha president to the Prime Minister, President and the National Human Rights Commission suggest that a CBI inquiry might facilitate his smooth entry.

In his letters, Bimal Gurung has demanded a CBI inquiry into the lathicharge on ex-servicemen in Siliguri on Wednesday.