DARJEELING: A West Bengal government order terminating nominated positions has cleared the way for the removal of nominated municipal chairpersons in three hill municipalities and the dissolution of several state-formed development boards across the region. The directive, issued on Monday by the Bengal Home and Hill Affairs department, instructed the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary to end the tenures of nominated members, directors and chairpersons of non-statutory bodies, entities and public sector undertakings under the state government.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista confirmed the development in a press release, saying the move “effectively removes all the nominated municipal chairpersons, nominated members of various development boards, nominated members of education boards, school service commissions, college service commissions and other such entities.” He added that the order would pave the way for elections in the hills. “This will also pave the way for the long-awaited elections in various municipalities across the Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars region, and the state. After 15 years of attempts at subversion by TMC, democracy has finally prevailed in West Bengal,” Bista said.
The tenures of the Kalimpong, Mirik and Kurseong civic bodies had already lapsed, with their last polls held in May 2017. By contrast, the Darjeeling Municipality’s term is not yet expired; its most recent elections took place in February 2022. Until now, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) administered most of these civic bodies, while Mirik was under the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The order will also directly affect roughly 16 development boards created over the years to represent hill communities such as the Lepcha, Tamang, Sherpa, Mangar, Bhutia, Khambu Rai and Limbu. These boards have been receiving separate development funds for their respective communities.
In addition, the directive states that the tenures of officers and officials serving on re-employment or extension beyond the normal retirement age of 60 in various state departments are to be terminated immediately. Calling the step a “much-needed decision,” Bista thanked new Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and said the move would help “eradicate the institutional rot put in place by the TMC.”
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/state-move-clears-way-for-changes-in-hill-civic-bodies
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