By IANS,
Jalpaiguri (West Bengal) : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday rejected the demand of the Adivasi Vikas Parishad (AVP), an apex tribal representative body, for forming a territorial administrative unit in north Bengal, but promised overall development of tribal-dominated areas of the region.
The AVP demanded the formation of the “Adivasi Territorial Administration (ATA)” under the provision of the Sixth Schedule of the constitution on the lines of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) for the “development of tribals of Terai (plains) and Dooars (Himalayan foothills) in the state” at a meeting with Banerjee at Chalsa in Japaiguri district.
“Today We have demanded the formation of an Adivasi Territorial Administration (ATA) under the provision of the Sixth Schedule before the chief minister. The ATA should be formed under lines of the GTA for the developments of tribals of north Bengal,” John Barla, president of AVP, told reporters after the meet with Banerjee.
An AVP delegation, led by Barla, placed a memorandum which included demand for the formation of the ATA.
Earlier, the AVP had protested the signing of the tripartite agreement on the Darjeeling hills between Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and West Bengal and central governments on July this year.
At the core of the accord was the formation of a new autonomous Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), a hill council armed with more powers than its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.
Talking to IANS over phone, Barla said, “She (Banerjee) said right now we are not thinking about ATA. But she has promised all kinds of development for Terai and Dooars. She has also said overall development in north Bengal cannot be completed without the development of Terai and Dooars.”
The GJM has been demanding the inclusion of Terai and Dooars under the GTA.
A high-powered committee has already been set up to assess the various aspects of the demand.
When asked about that, Barla said, “We had already submitted our demand to the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri, who is also a member of the high-powered committee, that Terai and Dooars should not be included under the GTA as tribals are the majority in this area. Tribals do not want to go under the jurisdiction of GTA.”