CM assures non-implementation of 30% freehold land proposal in tea gardens
Darjeeling: With unrest brewing in the Darjeeling Hills over freehold land in Hill tea estates and call for an united agitation, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Chief Anit Thapa has clarified that there will be no notification by the government declaring 30 per cent of the non-plantation area in tea as freehold land for Hotels and allied industries. Thapa stated that he has had a conversation with the Chief Minister whereby he has explained to her of the situation in ground zero and the resentment expressed by the Hills. Following this, the Chief Minister has assured him that this proposal will not be implemented.
Incidentally, a gazette notification of 2019 on Tea Tourism and Allied Business Policy of the Government of West Bengal had allowed a 15 per cent area or 150 acres of non-plantation area of tea gardens to be declared as freehold land to be used for hotel and other allied industries. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressing the Bengal Global Business Summit in Kolkata on Wednesday had announced that tea plantations can now utilise up to 30 per cent of the non-plantation land for this purpose. This has drawn flak from different quarters in the Hills.
“I called up the Chief Minister and apprised her that the Hills are not happy with this decision. Tea gardens are the identity of Darjeeling Hills. Major percentage of the Hill population lives in tea gardens. People come to see the greenery. They enjoy the small hotels and homestays. They do not come to the Hills to see large industries or hotels. The Chief Minister understood and assured that no such notification would be issued,” assured Thapa. “If the investors come and uproot a single tea bush also, I will be the first one to stand up in protest. No such thing will happen. Let us not take any drastic step out of emotions,” stated Thapa.
Meanwhile, the Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF) has given a call for a major rally and public meeting in Mirik on Saturday over these issues. “Outside the non-plantation area in a tea garden, there is agricultural land and forest land.
Our workers cultivate ginger, cardamom, oranges and also engage in animal husbandry in these lands. They can’t touch the forest land so they are eyeing the agricultural land now. Do they want to drive us out of our lands?” questioned NB Khawas of the IGJF giving a clarion call to attend the mammoth rally. “We will announce our agitation programme from there,” he added.
“This is the land of the Gorkhas. We will launch a major agitation. We will come out on the streets. Soon we will have a Joint Forum meeting and announce agitational programmes. Anything can happen over the land issue in the Hills.” stated Sunil Rai of the Joint Forum of Tea Trade Unions. Adding to this Arun Ghatani of the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist stated: “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had come to power over the Singur and Nandigram issue where she opposed industries. Why is she implementing the same here? The government should not play with fire.”
