Extension ruled out for Ghisingh, Council top post for DM

Calcutta, Feb. 20: The Bengal government does not have any plans to extend Subash Ghisingh’s term as Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) administrator.

“The government is not considering renewing Ghisingh’s tenure. We don’t have any such plans. After March 24, a government representative would be appointed as administrator of the hill council. I am announcing this under instructions from the chief minister,” said urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya at Writers’ Buildings today.

A discussion with Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had taken place earlier at the state cabinet meeting.

The announcement comes a few days after the urban development minister said there was no way the government could declare Ghisingh’s removal immediately.

“It is only after March 24 that the government can arrive at a decision,” Bhattacharya said.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has been demanding the removal of the GNLF chief as caretaker administrator of the DGHC and has called an indefinite bandh in the Darjeeling hills from today to pressure the government.

Ghisingh was holed up in Pintail Village, 3km from Siliguri, for the third day today after Morcha supporters blocked all routes to Darjeeling to stop him from “sneaking” into the hills.

Morcha leaders claimed that only a handful of GNLF workers was left in Sukna as most have joined their party.

“A major chunk, disgruntled over Ghisingh’s inclination towards Sixth Schedule (instead of Gorkhaland), have joined our party,” said Lalit Thapa, the Sukna branch president of the Morcha.

The GNLF office at Captain Ramsingh Thakuri Chowk in Sukna was closed throughout the day.

Since morning, Morcha supporters blocked NH55 at Salbari and Sukna, not allowing even bicycles to pass through. However, army vehicles, ambulances, school buses and vehicles carrying students were provided free passage.

Sukna was deserted while very few shops were open at Salbari till 12.45pm. Schools and colleges remained open.

In Salbari, 6km from Siliguri, some CPM supporters allegedly tried to force a section of shopowners to open their establishments. The Morcha supporters protested and police intervened to stop the two parties from clashing.

For Ghisingh, it was another day of rest. “He took a walk on the campus and rested in his room,” said I.N. Pradhan, the Kurseong branch president of the GNLF, who is among those keeping him company.

In response to the Morcha announcement that 11 of its supporters will sit on a fast in front of the subdivisional office in Siliguri from tomorrow, R.J.S Nalwa, the inspector-general of police, north Bengal, said the protesters would be arrested to prevent any law and order problem.

“They will not be allowed to go on a hunger strike in front of the SDO office in Siliguri,” the police official said.
The government today denied extension to D.T. Tamlong, the principal secretary of the DGHC. The district magistrate of Darjeeling will function as the interim principal secretary.

Bhattacharya blamed the delay in passing the Sixth Schedule bill for “trouble” in Darjeeling.

“An early passage would have meant elections to the hill council. That could have solved the problem,’ the minister added.
On behalf of the chief minister, Bhattacharya also made a fresh appeal to the protesters.

“The government does not want any confrontation. We have asked the district administration to initiate talks with them.”
Home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said adequate police arrangements have been made in the hills as the situation there was “worrisome’’.

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Darjeeling, Feb. 20: The Bengal government today appointed the Darjeeling district magistrate as the interim principal secretary of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) even as the hills remained shut on the first day of the indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
 
The tenure of incumbent principal secretary of the DGHC, D.T. Tamlong, came to an end yesterday following which the district magistrate was asked to take charge of the council for the first time since it was formed 20 years ago.

Although bureaucrats have always headed the council, this is the first time that an IAS officer in charge of the district administration has been told to look after a parallel administration.

“I received the government order today,” said Rajesh Pandey, the district magistrate of Darjeeling.

Tamlong had been appointed the principal secretary of the council on a six-month contract. “I did not resign but had communicated my unwillingness to continue in the post on personal grounds,” Tamlong said.

The Morcha had earlier demanded that all secretaries and officials of the council should resign from their posts within February 29. In the past couple of weeks, two secretaries of the council had put in their papers citing personal reasons.

The party led by Bimal Gurung has called for an indefinite bandh, demanding the removal of Subash Ghisingh, the caretaker administrator of the DGHC. Although the bandh was near total, educational institutions have been kept outside its purview.
Tea industry sources said only about 12 of the 87 gardens functioned normally.

While Morcha supporters moved across the town carrying black flags, a larger number of protesters camped outside the Jalapahar cantonment to stop Ghisingh from landing at the army helipad.