Darjeeling, Sept. 27 -- The Gorkhaland Sangram Party (GSP) has asked all the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Sabhasads to resign from the GTA. Dubbing GTA as a major obstacle in the path of Gorkhaland, they have warned that a series of protests will be held against attempts to revive the GTA. If required Lalkothi- the GTA secretariat would also be gheraoed.

"This is a crucial period, time to pave the path for Gorkhaland. Before the last Assembly elections, the BJP along with MP Raju Bista had time and again stated that the GTA is an utter failure. They had assured that as soon as the BJP came to power in Bengal GTA would be scrapped and the process for permanent political solution (PPS) would start. The Hills voted for the BJP owing to this. Now we see that an Administrator has been appointed in the GTA and along with the Sabhasads GTA Sabha (meeting) is being held. For how long will they continue to deceive us?" stated Sanjay Thulung of the GSP.

On Friday a GTA Sabha meeting was held at Lalkothi, the GTA secretariat in Darjeeling. Along with the newly appointed Administrator, 29 GTA Sabhasads attended.

"All the Sabhasads should immediately step down from GTA and resign. Why are they continuing in the GTA? We should not eye the Rs. 365 crore budget, it is time for all parties to come out on the streets and together carry forward the demand of Gorkhaland," stated Thulung.

He further stated that talks of running the GTA for a year as an interim arrangement is a wrong decision. "In all these years if the GTA has not been able to fulfill the aspiration of the Hills, what will it do now? At this crucial juncture when the Government is talking of the PPS, the attempt to run the GTA would send a very wrong message," remarked Thulung.

"The Government could then state that the GTA is running well and just bestow more power to the GTA in the guise of the PPS. However the aspiration of the Gorkhas is a separate state" remarked Thulung.

He stated that in such a case the situation could go out of hand and the Sabhasads still running the GTA and the Government would be to blame. "We will launch a series of protests against any such attempts of running the GTA. If the situation demands we will launch a Lalkothi gherao programme" stated Thulung talking to Millennium Post, after an emergent central committee meeting of the GSP on Sunday.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.