Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said on Tuesday that a Rs 200-crore Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has been scrapped.
The coordination meeting on GTA at Uttarkanya was attended by Minister of State (MoS) for Home and Hill Affairs Bishal Lama, GTA Principal Secretary Shama Parveen, Bista and other senior officials.
Addressing reporters, Bista alleged that the GTA had been plagued by corruption and claimed that the Rs 200-crore DPR had been prepared “for contractors and leaders, not for the people of the hills.”
He said the new state government, which has been in office for around two months, would take some more time before arriving at a decision on GTA-related issues. According to him, the final decision will come from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Bista said Tuesday’s meeting was primarily a coordination meeting convened to brief the Minister of State on the present status of the GTA. He said Lama sought details about the current administrative position of the autonomous body.
Following the resignation of GTA Chief Executive Anit Thapa and several other members, the GTA is presently being run by officials. No formal decision has yet been taken on appointing an administrator or adopting any other administrative arrangement.
The MP said the GTA has been allocated a budget of Rs 360 crore. He added that efforts are being made to secure an additional Rs 150 crore from the North Bengal Development Department, besides financial assistance from other departments and the Fifteenth Finance Commission.
He alleged that during the previous Trinamool Congress led government, the GTA did not receive funds from the Fifteenth Finance Commission.
Bista said the people of the hills are citizens of India and should enjoy the same rights, opportunities and developmental benefits as residents of other districts of West Bengal.
He further claimed that a “clean-up drive” is underway in the GTA. According to him, all work orders exceeding Rs 1 crore are under departmental inquiry and may subsequently come under scrutiny by agencies such as the CAG and the CBI.
The MP also alleged that disaster management funds were not properly utilised and that funds had been siphoned off. Referring to recurring landslides, poor road conditions, inadequate drinking water supply and lack of connectivity, including bridges, he said that the hills have not witnessed the level of development they deserve. He expressed hope that the new state government would address these long-standing issues.