KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee drove a wedge deeper into the Gorkhaland movement on Wednesday, naming rebel Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJM) leader Binay Tamang as chairman of a nine-member board of administrators to run the semi-autonomous Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA).
Binay Tamang recently broke ranks with the leadership of the GJM by entering into talks with the state government to end the agitation for a separate state of Gorkhaland.
Besides Tamang, his acolyte and Kurseong strongman Anit Thapa has been made vice-chairman of the board. Other members include Darjeeling MLA Amar Singh Thapa, Gorkhaland proponent Subhash Ghising's son and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) president Mann Ghising, L B Rai, Anu Chhetri, Joytim Khatun, Sanchabir Subba and West Bengal chief secretary Malay Kumar De as the principal secretary of GTA.
The GTA has been leaderless since 45 members of its executive, including chief executive Bimal Gurung resigned en masse on June 23 and launched the separate state movement.
Speaking to the media at Nabanna, Mamata Banerjee said the decision to reconstitute the board was taken as the Darjeeling hills could not afford to have its semi-autonomous council in a non-functioning state.
"We did not ask anyone to resign from the GTA. After the mass resignation, we made IAS Barun Roy the administrator of GTA as per the law. The present board has been formed according to Section 65 (b) of the GTA Act and it will look into development activities in the hills. Accordingly, the board has representatives from Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik and Kalimpong. A notification with regard to the formation of the board will soon be issued and the board will function with powers akin to the GTA till elections to the semi-autonomous council are held," she said.
Wait, GNLF not consulted
But in a curious twist, the GNLF condemned the nomination of its president Mann Ghising, to the board. It said he was not consulted.
Speaking to New Indian Express, GNLF spokesperson Neeraj Zimba said: "Our president was shocked to see his name on the board. We were not consulted. Mann Ghising is president of a political party and not Mamata Banerjee's party member whom she can handpick. We demand an unconditional apology from her."
He added that the GNLF will not attend the third round of talks with the state government slated to be held on October 16.