Govt to reconstitute development boards under the GTA: Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee has also held a meeting with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief executive Anit Thapa, chairpersons of the various development boards
SILIGURI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that the state government will reconstitute the 16 development boards under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) within the next one-and-half-month and set up a cell to monitor their functions.
“The boards will be reconstituted after seeking suggestions from various quarters within one-and-half-month. A monitoring cell to look into their functioning headed by Anit Thapa will be set up,” she told reporters.
Banerjee, who is in on a five-day visit to north Bengal districts, held a meeting with GTA chief executive Anit Thapa, chairpersons of the various development boards and senior government officials.
The Gorkha community boards were formed by the state government after the TMC came to power in 2011.
The move, to form development boards, was construed by some as an attempt to weaken the functioning of the semi-autonomous and elected GTA, then headed by Bimal Gurung. The GTA came into existence in 2012.
Gopal Lama, the TMC Lok Sabha candidate in the last Lok Sabha election from Darjeeling, has been appointed chairman of the Tamang Development Board replacing Sanjay Moktan. There is speculation of changes in top positions of other boards too.
The GTA area has three assembly constituencies out of which Darjeeling and Kurseong were won by the BJP and Kalimpong by an independent in 2021.