Govt. singnalling for elections in the Darjeeling Hills

The Mamata Banerjee government on Wednesday issued the notification for the GTA Act, signalling preparations for elections in the Darjeeling Hills, even as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) demanded the inclusion of some 400 moujas in the Terai-Dooars. The notification to formulate rules for the elections to the GTA will be issued on Thursday.

According to the gazette notification issued by the hill affairs department, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Act to set up the GTA for the Darjeeling Hills takes effect on March 14, 2012. The GTA Bill was passed in the Bengal Assembly in September last year, accommodating most changes sought by the GJM. Through 54 amendments, the GTA Bill had tried to ensure that the legislation was in accordance with the tripartite agreement and the Hills body got more autonomy than the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), which it will eventually replace.

After the chief minister had blamed the Centre for the delay in getting assent, there was possibility that the fragile peace brokered by the GTA deal might have been disturbed once again. The GTA Bill got presidential assent on March 7, paving the way for setting up the GTA and holding elections in the Hills.

Even as the notification for the Act was passed on Wednesday, Section 74 of the Act was not included. This section had talked about repealing the DGHC Act, 1988. An official at Writers' Buildings explained, "Since the elections haven't been held and the GTA haven't been formed, the DGHC must remain. The DGHC Act will be repealed only after the formation of the GTA."

Officials at Writers' Buildings were busy giving final touches to the rules for the elections. The polls will be conducted by the state government since neither the Election Commission nor the State Election Commission has the mandate for it. The district magistrate (DM), Darjeeling, is likely to be the authority for holding the elections.

The election rules will be more or less on the same lines as that of the DGHC and electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used for the polls. On Tuesday, chief secretary Samar Ghosh had said, "The election to the formation of the GTA will be held with the existing area as per the tripartite agreement. The government is not taking cognizance of the GJM's demands."

On Friday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had iterated that elections in the Hills will be held as per the tripartite agreement. The GJM's demand, however, is contrary to the agreement.

The GJM has been demanding that the high-power committee, looking into the inclusion of fresh areas from the Terai and Dooars in GTA, should submit its report before elections are held.

Now that the notification for giving effect to the GTA Act has been issued, the delimitation process for the election will also begin. After delimitation, a draft will be published for the delimited constituencies. There will be an interval of 15 days to register objections.

Source: Times of India

Darjeeling pact wrongly read: GJM - Morcha to meet CM on March 16

Darjeeling, March 14: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today accused the state government of wrongly “interpreting” the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement, a day after the chief secretary said there was “no scope” for “considering" the demand to hold election only after the territory issue was settled.

The GTA bill today became a law through a gazette notification.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri, who is a signatory to the agreement on behalf of his party, said: “The Bengal government is wrongly interpreting the agreement that only says that the electoral process will run parallel to the high powered committee’s functioning. It does not say that elections would be held. The people will not accept an election without the finalisation of the territory and we will never accept anything that goes against public wishes.”

The other two signatories to the agreement were the Bengal government and the Centre.

The state government has appointed a 10-member committee headed by Justice (retired) Shymal Sen to look into the Morcha demand to bring Gorkha-dominated areas of the Terai and the Dooars under the GTA.

Giri, along with other senior Morcha leaders will meet Mamata Banerjee and the chief secretary in Calcutta on March 16. “We will make our stand clear at the meeting. Elections are out of question without finalising the territory,” said Giri. The Shyamal Sen committee will also meet in Calcutta the same day.

The Morcha wants the GTA election to be held only after the Shyamal Sen committee submits its report to the government. Its tenure has been extended for six months.

“Until then, the election process like delimiting constituencies (the present DGHC has 28 constituencies while the GTA will have 45) can start. But holding election is a different issue altogether. Till the polls are held, an interim board with nominated members should be formed,” said Giri.

Chief secretary Ghosh had yesterday said in Calcutta that there was “no scope” for “considering” the Morcha demand. “The tripartite agreement has been signed (by the Morcha as well). The agreement is exactly reflected in the law that will be notified tomorrow. It clearly states that the election process would be conducted by the state government even if the committee is yet to submit its report on the territorial matter,” Ghosh had said.

“There is no scope now for such considerations. We will go ahead with the elections (in the present DGHC) area,” he had said.

Countering Ghosh’s claim, Giri today said: “Clause 6 of the MoA reads ‘The work of this high-powered committee will run parallel to the electoral process which will be based on the existing delimited area (under the DGHC). However, the empowering statute will have a provision for the transfer of additional areas from Siliguri and the Terai and the Dooars that maybe agreed upon, based on the recommendation of the committee.’ I don’t think this means that election will have to take place parallel to the functioning of the high powered committee. The electoral process can definitely start.”

CPRM fast

The supporters of the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists will be on a 12-hour hunger strike in front of the Jantar Mantar in Delhi on March 20 in demand of Gorkhaland.

“We will also submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office on March 20,” said Shekar Chhetri, chief of the CPRM’s youth wing.

Source: The Telegraph

Darjeeling Mall makeover takes off

Darjeeling: The DGHC has started revamping the Mall and the first phase of the Rs 9 crore project for Darjeeling’s famous promenade is expected to be completed in five months.

Nearly Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned for the first phase which includes an amphitheatre and landscaping the park where it will come up. Dismantling the band stand or the “hawa ghar” for an unhindered view of the mountains will be part of the second phase of the makeover.

P.R. Mehta, an architect from Delhi, has been hired as a consultant for the project.

“The entire revamp will be taken up in two phases. During the first phase, the park will be renovated,” said Anil Verma, the administrator of the DGHC.

The revamp of the Mall, with a daily footfall of 1,000 in peak seasons, has probably been propelled by Mamata Banerjee’s announcement to turn Darjeeling into Switzerland. In November, the state government had brought in RITES to draw up a comprehensive tourism master plan for the Queen of Hills.

But the Mall overhaul is a wholly DGHC initiative. The amphitheatre with a seating arrangement for 300 people will be set up at Brabourne Park.

“Work has just started and we expect to complete the project within the next four to five months. The open-air theatre in the park will have a very comfortable seating arrangement for about 250-300 people. The lighting arrangement in the park and its landscape will also be worked out. Green rooms and lavatories will also come up,” said Verma.

He said Rs 2 crore had been sanctioned for the first phase of the project. “Work has started as per chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s earlier announcement for the need for an integrated development plan for Chowrastha (or the Mall),” said Verma.

Brabourne Park is not a favourite with tourists. Darjeeling has around 3.5 lakh domestic tourists annually and another 50,000 foreign visitors. “During the peak season, almost 2,000 tourists arrive in Darjeeling town every day. Of them, 1,000 tourists can be found in the Mall in the afternoon,” said a tour operator.

The park turns slushy during monsoons. The DGHC under Subash Ghisingh had constructed a much-hyped musical fountain in the park for Rs 20 lakh in 2006. The fountain needed 10,000 gallons of water to function. But with the Darjeeling municipality unable to supply potable water to its residents, the fountain was bound to go dry and it stopped working after a year.

Last year, after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha replaced the GNLF at the Darjeeling municipality, the steel seating arrangement in front of the fountain was dismantled and a martyr’s column was erected in the park.

The estimate for developing the Mall has been pegged around Rs 8-9 crore. “The proposal had been sent to the Centre based on the GTA agreement. Till the grants arrive, DGHC will fund the project,” said Verma. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement has provision for allocating funds for hill tourism.

During the second phase, the “hawa-ghar”— the concrete structure where the bands, specially that belonging to the police have been playing since the colonial era — will be dismantled. “The hawa-ghar is obstructing the panoramic view of the hills and the designers have decided to do away with it. Instead, proper seating facilities will be made, though we will retain the old wooden benches that are here. The lighting system will also be improved,” said Verma.

Earlier, the Darjeeling Police used to operate an electronic temperature board at the tourist assistance booth at the Mall. It was a huge hit among tourists and locals but it stopped functioning more than two years ago. The police have also stopped playing instrumental music in the Mall through its music system.

Source: The Telegraph

Time for Darjeeling face-lift

DARJEELING, Nov. 25: The Darjeeling Municipality will set up a Town Planning Committee to give a face-lift to the town considering its growing population.
“A 10-member cell will be formed headed by the civic body chairman to look into all aspects of town planning. It will also have the DM and the SP in the advisory body,” informed the chairman, Mr Pemba Tshering Ola. Most of the civic services like sewage, water distribution system and land use of Darjeeling fail to meet the requirements of the 1.5 lakh odd population in town that excludes the floating population.

Moreover, in the past 20 years the landscape has become congested in the absence of any regulation to check construction.

The civic body has already begun the dismantling of illegal buildings flouting the permissible limit of 13.5 m in height.

The committee, likely to be formed in January next year, will work envisioning the town's population 30 to 40 years ahead. Apart from the administrative heads, the municipality will collaborate with local engineers, architects, experts and the people in general. “We have already written to the Ahmedabad School of Structures to help us in the matter. A team that specialises in hill town planning will probably be sent to Darjeeling,” Mr Ola said.

The civic body will dismantle 30 to 35 old buildings under its purview to construct modern multi-purpose buildings that will also have parking spaces and water harvesting system targeted at solving the traffic problem and water crisis in town.
“Traffic space is limited and with unauthorised shops that encroach on the roads chances of accidents go up. We will also rehabilitate the hawkers in these new buildings,” he said.

A different cell will look into the uneven water distribution in the 32 wards of Darjeeling Municipality. “The current system dates back over 50 years and is good for supplying up to 50,000 people,” the chairman said. At present, the civic body supplies 7-8 lakh gallons of water against a total requirement of 17-18 gallons per day.