HM Shah to lead efforts for permanent solution to Terai, Dooars, Darjeeling issues: Bista

PRASHANT ACHARYA

SILIGURI, : Home Minister Amit Shah will lead efforts to find a permanent solution to the long-standing political and administrative issues of the Terai, Dooars and Darjeeling hills, BJP Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said on Saturday after a four-hour meeting at Sukna.

The meeting, held on the final day of Shah's visit to Siliguri, focused on a Permanent Political Solution (PPS) to issues concerning the Gorkha community and the Darjeeling region.

The high-level meeting was attended by Shah, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, government interlocutor Pankaj Kumar Singh, Bista, Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Singla, West Bengal Minister of State (MoS) for Home and Hill Affairs Bishal Lama, MLAs, party presidents and senior leaders of NDA allies, including Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung, general secretary Roshan Giri and Gorkha National Liberation Front president Mann Ghising.

Senior officials of the Centre and state government were also present.

The meeting comes months after Shah, during the West Bengal Assembly election campaign, had reportedly said at Sukna that if the BJP came to power in the State, the Gorkha issue would be resolved within six months.

After the meeting, Bista termed the development a "major step" towards a permanent solution.

"Gorkhas will get their rights and respect," he said, adding, "Something bigger than Gorkhaland is going to come to this region."

Bista said the proposed solution would be within the Constitution of India and that a committee would be constituted under the leadership of the government interlocutor. The final decision, he said, would be taken after examining the committee's report.

He urged people to wait a few more days for details of the proposed arrangement.

Bista said the Gorkha community had faced humiliation and discrimination for decades, including being labelled foreigners, while thousands had lost their lives during struggles for identity and political rights.

He also highlighted Darjeeling's historical contributions, including tea cultivation, hydropower development and the sacrifices made by Gorkhas while serving and protecting the country.

Singla said a special meeting was held with MPs, MLAs and prominent political leaders from the hills, during which the demand for a PPS was discussed in detail with the Home Minister.

Several administrative and developmental issues were also raised, including restructuring of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Board, transparent municipal and panchayat elections in the hills, transparent recruitment of teachers and creation of employment opportunities for local youth.

Darjeeling MLA Noman Rai said he urged the Home Minister to expedite stalled development projects and restore a transparent administrative system in the hills.

Roshan Giri described the discussions as a milestone in the process of achieving a permanent solution, while stressing that the final decision would be taken by the committee constituted for the purpose.

In a notable development after the meeting, Shah and Adhikari left Sukna together in the same vehicle under tight security for Bagdogra Airport, from where they proceeded for their respective engagements.

The meeting has raised fresh expectations in the Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars that the Centre's renewed initiative could lead to a comprehensive and constitutionally backed political settlement for the region.