Wednesday, May 06, 2026 22:45 [IST]
Last Update: Tuesday, May 05, 2026 17:05 [IST]
DARJEELING,: A day after securing a strong mandate to run West Bengal, the BJP has
stepped up its attack over alleged corruption in the hills, with Darjeeling MP
Raju Bista calling for the safekeeping of documents in three civic bodies to
prevent possible tampering.
Bista
on Tuesday wrote to West Bengal Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala, urging him to
ensure the protection of official records in the Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik
municipalities.
In a
press release, Bista said, “Since yesterday, I have received multiple
representations from concerned citizens and organisations expressing fears that
sensitive documents exposing corruption in Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik
municipalities may be destroyed by caretakers appointed by the TMC government.”
“I
have informed the Chief Secretary that elections to these three municipalities
have not been held since 2022, and that they have been run by unelected
individuals appointed as caretakers by the TMC government,” he said. He added
that these individuals have been accused of serious wrongdoing and of misusing
government funds and assets.
The
Darjeeling MP said he has requested the Chief Secretary to direct the executive
officers of these municipalities to safeguard all documents and ensure that
none are removed from their offices.
“Under
the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP will ensure a
corruption-free government, and every individual who has indulged in looting
public funds will have to answer to the law,” Bista said.
The
BJP, along with other opposition parties in the region, has been alleging
corruption against the ruling party for some time. Currently, the hill civic
bodies and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) are run by the
Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), which is allied with the TMC.
Among the four hill municipalities, Mirik is directly run by the TMC.
The
future of the GTA also remains uncertain, with Bista repeatedly stating that it
would be dissolved if the BJP comes to power in Bengal, with an alternative
arrangement to replace it.
