National
Mamata appoints axed GJM leader as GTA head (Lead)
Kolkata, Sep 20 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced the formation of a nine-member board of administrators, headed by ousted Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Binay Tamang, to run the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
GTA is the developmental body in the north Bengal hills.
“The power that was enjoyed by the Chief Executive of the elected body, we are transferring the same power to a board of administrators and they are all from the hills,” Banerjee said at the state secretariat here.
“Many a time work of the GTA was not being done properly when power was vested in a single government official.”
The development comes close on the heels of a meeting held by the Chief Minister with Tamang and Anit Thapa at the secretariat earlier this week.
Tamang was expelled from the GJM along with party colleague Thapa on September 1 on charges of “conspiring with the state government to derail” the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland.
The Trinamool Congress leader said Tamang would be the chairman and Anit Thapa the vice chairman of the GTA.
Other members include Gorkha National Liberation Front leader Mann Ghising, legislator Amar Singh Rai, Anu Chhetri, J. Khatun, L.B. Rai, Sanchari Subba and the Principal Secretary of GTA.
“They will run the GTA. Including Principal Secretary, they are nine in total. Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik are represented. If there are more public representatives they can shoulder more responsibility,” Banerjee said referring to Section 65B of the GTA Act, 2011.
“They will assume charge with immediate effect and can work till the elections are held. Since there is no possibility of elections now, we are forming the board. When the atmosphere becomes conducive to conduct polls and elections take place, then the elected body will work,” she said.
All elected GTA members including its chief executive Gurung, had resigned from the administrative body in June after the GJM revived the Gorkhaland agitation.
“We are in favour of an elected body. We didn’t tell anyone to resign, everyone did so on their own accord,” Banerjee said.
She said IAS Barun Roy was given administrative charge of GTA after the members stepped down.
Armed with more powers than its predecessor – the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council formed in the late 1980s – the GTA was created on July 18, 2011, via a tripartite between the GJM and the state and central governments.
The GJM won the first GTA elections held in 2012, and ran the board till its leaders resigned.
The elected body’s five year term ended on June 30.
On June 27, the GJM burnt the GTA Regulation act documents in public as a symbolic protest against the board.
–IANS
sgh/ssp/ahm/dg
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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