Gurung on mouza report

Alipurduar, June 24: Bimal Gurung today said the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had submitted a report on the population break-up of the 391 mouzas in the Dooars and Terai to the fact verification committee that would look into the recommendations of the Justice Shyamal Sen commission. The Morcha has been demanding that 396 mouzas in the plains be brought under the jurisdiction of the GTA Sabha. But the Shyamal Sen panel had recommended the inclusion of only five mouzas in the autonomous body. “We have submitted a report to the fact verification committee on the population of the 391 mouzas in the Dooars and Terai. We mentioned the percentage of the Gorkhas and the adivasis in the report. The committee will visit the Dooars and Terai to know the ground situation before submitting its report. Our main demand is the inclusion of 396 mouzas in the GTA and if it is not fulfilled, the Morcha will fight for it,” Morcha president Gurung told journalists after addressing a meeting at Gopi Mohon ground at Jaigaon, 64km from here. In his address to the meeting held as part of the panchayat election campaign, Gurung said: “Biki Lama and Akbar Lama have sacrificed their lives for Gorkhaland and I cannot forget their contribution. Now, we have adivasis and Rajbangshis with us. Maoists were born as they were deprived for long. Cast vote in favour of the JMM and the Morcha.” Around 3,000 people attended the meeting that began at 2pm. More than 60 minutes into the meeting, it started raining and still, the crowd didn’t disappear as Gurung was yet to deliver his speech. Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chettri and GTA Sabha members Pradeep Pradhan and P.T. Ola were on the stage. Gurung, who is also the GTA Sabha chief executive, today visited Tala Basti, Hat Khola, Pari Line, Chhetry Line and Bania Line under Dalshingpara gram panchayat of Kalchini block to canvass for the candidates of the Morcha and the JMM. He told the media that half of the 500 seats in the Dooars were left uncontested by the Morcha and the JMM. “We will declare a few days before the polls whom the Morcha and JMM supporters will support in these seats,” he added. Jalpaiguri district will go to the polls on July 9.