Centre to withdraw troops from Darjeeling by Oct 20

KOLKATA: In a decision that may stoke a major political controversy in West Bengal, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) has notified the state government that it will withdraw two third of the central forces from the Darjeeling hills from Monday and the rest by October 20.

According to the MHA notice sent to the Mamata Banerjee government Sunday, seven companies of CRPF and three companies of SSB personnel will stand withdrawn from October 16. The remaining 5 companies of CRPF will remain in the Hills to aid the police force until October 20.

While no reaction from the state government and the ruling party, Trinamool Congress, was available until the filing of this report, sources claimed the state government has written to the Centre expressing its objections.

In June, when fresh unrest began in Darjeeling for Gorkhaland, 12 companies of CRPF and 3 companies of SSB were requisitioned by the state government.

The decision to withdraw the troops will likely have political ramifications as TMC is expected to launch a campaign against BJP for “fuelling the agitation”. KOLKATA: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, or Toy Train, has resumed services on an experimental basis on a 35-km track between Siliguri and Sukna, an official said on Sunday.

The DHR, which has incurred an estimated ₹2.5 crore loss as a fallout of the Gorkhaland agitation, is carrying out inspections along the entire length of the track. “We have started services on an experimental basis from Siliguri to Sukna. We will notify soon

BJP, an ally of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha - the leading agitating party in the Hills - cannot afford to be seen in the rest of Bengal as pro-gorkhaland. Darjeeling has only one Lok Sabha seat, presently having a BJP MP.

Meanwhile, political solution to the Darjeeling problem became a bit tougher for the state government, with the Jan Andolan Party (JAP) – a critic of Gjm-led militant movement – deciding on Sunday against joining the all- and passengers may be allowed to board again,” Northeast Frontier Railway’s (NFR) chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma told IANS.

“Inspection is being done by different departments on every inch of the track between Siliguri and Darjeeling and we hope to run regular services after October 25,” Sharma said.

The UNESCO granted world heritage status to DHR in December 1999. The passenger railway started operations in 1881.

party meeting at the state secretariat of Nabanna scheduled to be held on Monday.

This will be the third bilateral talk between the state government and political parties representing the people of the Hills.

The decision came at a time the CM managed to use a split in the GJM by isolating its chief Bimal Gurung and promoting his rival Binoy Tamang as the ad-hoc chief of the semi-autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration