Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sharply opposing the Centre’s appointment of an interlocutor for Gorkha issues in the Darjeeling hills. She described the move as “unilateral, arbitrary and unconstitutional,” asserting that it bypassed the state government.
This is the second time Mamata has written to the Prime Minister on the matter. Earlier, on October 18, she had requested the revocation of the Centre’s decision.
In her letter, she expressed surprise that the interlocutor’s office, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, had already begun functioning despite no response from the Prime Minister’s office. “It is a matter of grave concern that, without any consultation with the Government of West Bengal, the interlocutor’s office has started functioning,” she wrote.
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Mamata maintained that matters concerning Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong fall strictly under state jurisdiction. Citing the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) Act, 2011, she emphasised that administrative authority in the hills rests with the West Bengal government.
“The term ‘Government’ within the Act refers explicitly to the West Bengal government. The Centre, therefore, has no legal mandate to appoint an interlocutor in the hills,” she added.
The Chief Minister warned that the Centre’s move could destabilise the peace and development that has prevailed in the region since 2011 and may be politically motivated. She urged the Prime Minister to revoke the appointment of the interlocutor to avoid undermining constitutional and statutory provisions.
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