GJM announces Nov 26 Rally over alleged corruption in GTA, Darjeeling Municipality

DARJEELING,: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Friday announced that it would organise a mass rally in Darjeeling on November 26, demanding an investigation into alleged corruption and financial irregularities in Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and Darjeeling Municipality.

A GJM delegation met district administration officials on Friday and submitted a memorandum outlining its demands, warning that it would launch a mass agitation if corrective action was not initiated.

“We met the district officials and apprised them of our demands. There is serious corruption in the GTA and Darjeeling Municipality. We will wait for corrective action by the administration, failing which we will organise a mass rally on November 26,” said GJM spokesperson Binita Roka.

The BJP ally has been demanding a central investigation into alleged corruption in the hill council. Roka alleged that former GTA Sabhasads, executives and certain staff members were involved in financial irregularities, including cut-money practices and scams in the implementation of the AMRUT and Jal Jeevan Mission projects.

The party also expressed disappointment over what it described as the BJP government's lack of proactive intervention in addressing the allegations.

“Since July, we have submitted memorandums to the Darjeeling district administration and the West Bengal government, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. However, no headway has been made. We have also conducted independent field visits across the region to gather evidence of corruption and submitted our findings to the state government and the Chief Minister,” Roka said.

She added that the Chief Minister had assured the party in August that an investigation would be initiated, but no action had followed.

Citing the party's field findings, Roka alleged that the Rs 205-crore AMRUT project had not been implemented despite the work order being issued in 2021, even though official records indicated progress.

“According to official records, proposals covering around 1.61 lakh households have been submitted under the project, with funds sanctioned for 76,000 households. However, our field visits indicate that not a single household has received drinking water through the project,” she alleged.

Reiterating the party's faith in the BJP-led government in West Bengal, Roka said the Morcha expected the new government to work for the Hills without discrimination or prejudice.

“The BJP is our ally, and we have placed our faith in it to deliver. However, we will also review our position if our expectations are not met,” she said.

Apart from the corruption allegations, the delegation also raised concerns over the deletion of voters' names during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the pending elections to the hill municipalities.

Roka alleged that lakhs of eligible voters from the Hills had been removed from the electoral rolls. The party has demanded that elections to the Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik municipalities be held only after the deleted names are restored.

The GJM has also decided to meet the GTA Principal Secretary on November 17 and submit a separate memorandum reiterating its demand for an investigation into the alleged corruption.