State govt will reconstitute the 16 development boards under GTA within the next one-and-half-month: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that the state government will reconstitute the 16 development boards under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) within the next one-and-half-month and will form of a special monitoring cell to screen the functioning of the various boards in the hills.

The decision was taken after a meeting convened by the Chief Minister with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) officials, including the GTA chief executive Anit Thapa.

“The development boards in the hills will be reorganized within the next couple of months for the purpose of smooth functioning. Anit Thapa will be chairman of the monitoring cell. District Magistrates of Darjeeling and Kurseong will be part of the team,” Chief Minister told the media after the meeting.


Talking about Chief Minister’s initiatives for the development of the hills, Banerjee said she has given land deeds to at least 50,000 tea garden workers.

According to Banerjee, Anti Thapa, the chief executive of the GTA. will be chairman of the monitoring cell and L.B. Rai will be the vice-chairman.

Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) party chief Anit Thapa said, “We look forward to working closely with the West Bengal government for the development in the hills. Our party always stands with the state government. The Chief Minister has true love for the hills.”

Since its inception to power in 2011, Darjeeling has been a stronghold of BJP and Trinamool Congress does not have a substantial presence in the hills. BJP candidates got elected from Darjeeling Lok Sabha for four consecutive terms since the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.