Govt supply signal to hills

AVIJIT SINHA

Siliguri, Aug. 8: The state government will stand by the residents of the hills and provide them with food, water and medicines if the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha strike continues for some more days, minister Gautam Deb said. “The state government is not sitting idle and is aware of the problems like shortage of food and medicines faced by common residents of the hills because of the strike,” Deb said here today. “Unlike some of the elected representatives of the GTA who have resorted to a sudden agitation and foregone their responsibilities, the government cannot shirk its constitutional obligation of providing food, medicines and drinking water to the common people in the hills,” the minister said. Today was the sixth day of the strike. Observers said Deb’s announcement is a strategy to prevent the Morcha leadership from intensifying its movement. “With each day, a considerable section of the people is feeling the crisis of food and medicines. Prices of groceries and vegetables have soared (in the hills). Under such circumstances, there is a chance that the Morcha might try to hold the state liable for the condition of the people and use their desperation to intensify the movement,” a government source said. “If the strike that they have thrust on the common residents for political interests, continues for some more days, the state would supply food, water and medicines to people at appropriate time. The state would take stern steps if anybody tries to disrupt the supplies,” said the north Bengal development minister. The Morcha leadership had said there will be a relaxation on August 15. “Six more days are left before the Independence Day and we have to survive on the stocks left. The economically weak people are already facing stock shortage. It is tough for them to live for another six days,” a Tindharia resident said. The government source said: “The state wants to play it safe by extending help to the affected people and pass on the message to the hills that they are suffering because of the movement launched by the Morcha. If supply of essentials is affected because of disruption in traffic, the liability would be attributed to the Morcha by the state,” he added. Deb today said: “We are confident that common people in the hills would stand together and raise their voice against the indefinite strike and the state of uncertainty created by Morcha. They are already aggrieved over the sudden halt in development process and are not beleaguered with issues like food shortage. It is unlikely that they would sit silent and bear the consequences of some whimsical decisions taken by a political party.” “Our government is keen in restoring normalcy in the hills. It is unfortunate that a section of employees, who have developed the habit of staying away from work during the past 25-30 years, has not changed. The administration has already made it clear that steps would be taken against them. We are sympathetic towards the people of Darjeeling but the state would not allow any dereliction of duty or attempts to separate Bengal,” Deb said. The minister today criticised the Morcha for alleging that the state government was interfering in GTA’s work. “The GTA is a newborn baby and needs to be nurtured so that it can develop as the ideal tool for development in hills. The Morcha leaders acted irresponsibly. We have transferred 37 departments to the GTA so far. The allegation of interference is completely baseless,” he said. He also targeted the Congress today. “The Congress-led central government, which is one of the signatories of the GTA agreements, has not made any firm assertion, instead the Centre is directly and indirectly inciting the Morcha for minor political interests. Congress leaders from north Bengal have remained mum on the impasse.”