Morcha duo’s Calcutta visit

Darjeeling, March 20: Two GTA Sabha members will leave for Calcutta tomorrow, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha said a day after Bimal Gurung received a letter from the Bengal chief secretary seeking “cooperation” to run the hill body. Sources said Binay Tamang, a GTA executive member, along with Ratan Thapa, also an executive member of GTA, will leave for Calcutta tomorrow. “It is true that the two leaders will be leaving for Calcutta tomorrow. We can only confirm that they are visiting Calcutta for official work,” said the source. Asked if the Morcha leaders would meet Trinamul Congress leaders or seek an appointment for a meeting between Mamata Banerjee and Bimal Gurung, the source said: “It is best not to speculate at this juncture. Developments will be made known at a suitable time.” However, for a party leadership which had completely severed ties with the Mamata Banerjee government, the visit by the two leaders after the chief secretary’s letter reached the GTA may prove important. Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha, will be touching Calcutta en route to Ranchi. Asked if he would be visiting Calcutta soon, Giri said: “There might be some speculation of me going to Calcutta as I will have to go to Jharkhand (to attend a meeting with JMM on March 24) via Calcutta. However, no meetings have been scheduled in Calcutta till today.” Giri had yesterday said the chief secretary’s letter was a “positive one” but had added that Gurung would be taken a final call on the response to the letter. Sources in the Morcha said that Gurung has not yet made any official response to the letter. The letter which had been written on February 27, reached Gurung only last evening. The letter clearly states that the state government has always tried to iron out any difference on the working of the GTA. “It would also be necessary for all of us to honour the spirit of the tripartite agreement, which has been entered into after considerable effort and deliberation from all ends. Whenever required, the state government has always met your representatives and discussed various issues. We firmly believe that within the ambit of the agreement, all issues can be taken forward by working together,” the letter said.