Morcha takes over Darjeeling municipality

Darjeeling, April 2: The much awaited election to the post of Chairmanship of Darjeeling Municipality, which had been vacant since the death of former Chairman, Late B B Dewan, was held today under the supervision of government appointed election observer, Mrs Pranita Pariyar, Magistrate, Darjeeling Sub Division. Mr. Pemba Tshering Bhutia, the Gorkha Jana Mukhti Morcha (GJMM) councillor of Ghoom Samisty (Ward No 2) has been elected as the new Chairman of the 32 member strong Darjeeling Municipality. While the councillors of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) deliberately abstained from voting, the required quorum was still met with 16 councillors of GJMM unanimously electing Mr. Bhutia for the top post. In an hour long meeting held at the Conference Hall, Darjeeling Municipality, which was presided over by Mr. Amar Lama, the councillors of the GJMM unequivocally elected Mr. Bhutia as the new Chairman, much to the expectation of the political analysts’ who view it as the final blow to the shattering GNLF which has already lost the Kurseong Municipality to Morcha, a month ago.  Minutes after being elected the Chairman, Mr. Bhutia rushed to the GJMM, Central Committee office at Singamari, where the Party supremo Mr Bimal Gurung greeted him with ‘khada’ and bouquet.
 
Later in the afternoon, Mrs. Sumitra Dey, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, administered the oath to Mr. Bhutia in the Capital Hall, which was thronged by hundreds of enthusiast GJMM members and supporters. Those who attended the oath taking ceremony included Mr. and Mrs Pema Tshering Bhutia, the ex councillor (Ward No 1) and father of Mr. Bhutia, Mr. Roshan Giri, General Secretary (GJMM, Central Committee), Dinesh Gurung, President (GJMM, Town Committee), the members of the executive body (Darjeeling Municipality) and the leaders of the GJMM. Addressing the gathering, the visibly jubilant Mr. Bhutia thanked the people and vowed to work for the over all development of the municipality area.  While the present governing body has already completed four of its five years tenure in the office, Mr. Bhutia stressed the need to make Darjeeling Municipality “corruption free” to regain the lost glory that the “Queen of Hills” once had. In his speech, Mr. Bhutia also pointed to the formation of new Ward Committees to take cognizance of people’s grievances and to monitor the developmental work in various wards. In an exclusive interview to DT, Mr. Bhutia held that the “cleanliness and beautification” of the municipality area ranked highest in his agendum, besides solving water crisis in the area. When reminded that the Gorkhaland issue was conspicuously missing in his addressal speech, Mr. Bhutia was quick to add, “Gorkhaland remains the crux of GJMM and that the party would stick to it”. The new Chairman – in – Council, the executive body to assist the Chairman would be formed on 3rd April.  
 
Correspondent, DT
Shailendra Mani Pradhan.