Didi strengthens audit team probing GTA

a day when the situation in Darjeeling showed signs of returning to normal, the Mamata Banerjee government mounted further pressure on Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) CEO Bimal Gurung by adding six more officers to the existing team of sixmember special audit team probing financial misconduct in GTA.

The 12-member team will scrutinise finances of the semi-autonomous body since it was set up in 2012. According to state secretariat sources, the finance department will file police complaint if they could spot irregularities.

The need to double the strength of the auditors was felt as the government is in a hurry to wrap up the exercise as soon as possible. On Saturday, the sixmember team that reached Darjeeling on Friday to conduct the special audit met GTA secretary Don Bosco Lepcha, chief controller of finance Nimesh Sundas, financial officer Sangey Bhutia and the audit officer. The team will formally begin its audit from Monday, sources told HT. The team will visit different GTA offices in Darjeeling. “Earlier he used to indulge in financial irregularities. But now that I come here regularly, it has become difficult. Therefore, he is angry,” said Banerjee on Saturday. Though she did not name anybody, it was obvious that her target was the GTA chief executive. On the ground, the situation was nearly normal in Darjeeling. As calm prevailed, some tourists were seen going to the hill station from Siliguri.