The Tea Workers’ Protection Committee (Chiya Shramik Suraksha Samiti) in Darjeeling has called for an indefinite bandh in the Hills starting Monday after the tripartite meeting convened by the Labour Department ended inconclusively today over the demand for a 20 per cent Puja bonus for workers in the 87 Hill tea gardens.
Ahead of chief minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to Siliguri, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has called for her intervention in resolving the ongoing bonus dispute in Darjeeling tea plantations, under the jurisdiction of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
Mr Bista also emphasized that, as per Section (21) of the Act, land and land revenue matters are within the purview of GTA, not the state government.
The TMC Siliguri district president, Papiya Ghosh and BJPM president Anit Thapa were present.
Mr Thapa was addressing the audience during the foundation stone laying ceremony for an IT Park in Kurseong in Darjeeling today.
The Chief Executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Mr Anit Thapa, on Sunday held a meeting at Kurseong with the leaders of all trade unions operating in tea plantations in the area on the issue of land survey and execution of the proposed plan to distribute deed of land rights (Patta) among tea workers in the Hills.
The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has taken an in-principle decision not to allow setting up of fresh hydropower projects in the hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
A former GNLF (Gorkha National Liberation Front) activist Bhawesh Bhujel, resident of Kalimpong, has informed the President of India Droupadi Murmu that a group of Gorkhas will start 'fast unto death' under Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) area demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland from 22 August. Mr Bhujel has written a letter to the President Droupadi Murmu seeking her intervention in resolving the issue amicably.
"The economy has gone down, and we should lift it up," she said, reiterating that elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), panchayat and the three other hill municipalities would be held, and that the elected representatives should do good work.
"When the Relief Fund was initiated, the GTA had taken a resolution to share its own matching grant against the donated amount as per an official statement, which would take the amount up to Rs 4 crore and 24 lakh,"
