Bengal Govt to reconstitute 16 development boards under GTA, announces Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Tuesday that the state government will reconstitute the 16 development boards under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) within the next one-and-a-half months. Additionally, a cell will be established to monitor the functioning of these boards.

Banerjee, who is currently on a five-day visit to the north Bengal districts, made the announcement after a meeting with GTA Chief Executive Anit Thapa, along with chairpersons of various development boards and senior government officials. The boards, which have been in existence since the Trinamool Congress (TMC) came to power in 2011, were initially set up to address the needs of the Gorkha community.

Speaking at the meeting, Mamata Banerjee said, "The boards will be reconstituted after seeking suggestions from various quarters within one-and-a-half months. A monitoring cell to look into their functioning, headed by Anit Thapa, will be set up."

The formation of these development boards by the state government has been controversial, as some viewed it as an attempt to undermine the power of the semi-autonomous and elected GTA, which was established in 2012 under the leadership of Bimal Gurung. The creation of these boards was seen by some as a political move to divide the influence of the GTA and weaken its control over the region.

In a significant development, Gopal Lama, a TMC Lok Sabha candidate from Darjeeling in the 2019 elections, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Tamang Development Board, replacing Sanjay Moktan. There are speculations that similar changes in leadership positions will take place across other boards as well.