Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday held a significant tripartite meeting at Sukna in Darjeeling to address the long-standing political issues of the hills and explore a “permanent solution” to the region’s problems. The meeting was attended by West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Bimal Gurung, GJM leader Roshan Giri and Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista.

The meeting assumes significance as it was the first tripartite discussion on the hill region since the change of government in the state.

A key outcome of the meeting was the decision to establish a permanent committee to examine and resolve issues affecting the hills. Former BSF Director General and retired IPS officer Pankaj Kumar Singh will head the committee.

Singh also played the role of mediator during the discussions. However, details regarding the committee’s size, composition and organisational structure have not yet been disclosed. The committee is expected to provide a structured mechanism for addressing the region’s long-standing political, administrative and developmental concerns.

Focus on constitutional solution

The Gorkhaland issue has remained a major source of political tension in the Darjeeling hills for decades, with the region witnessing periods of agitation and violence. During the meeting, Shah assured the hill representatives that issues concerning the region would be addressed through constitutional means. GJM leaders Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri also agreed to pursue a constitutional approach to resolving the region’s problems.

The discussions focused on a broad range of issues, including teacher recruitment, tourism, transport and overall infrastructure development in the hills.

The meeting also highlighted allegations of financial irregularities, recruitment-related problems and alleged mismanagement in sectors such as tourism during the previous Trinamool Congress regime and under the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA).

The BJP leadership stressed that the “Double Engine” government is committed to the all-round development of the hill region.

Regular review meetings promised

Shah also promised to hold regular review meetings to monitor the progress of development initiatives and assess the implementation of decisions taken for the hills.

The latest meeting is being viewed as an attempt to establish a fresh political and administrative roadmap for Darjeeling and adjoining hill areas, while balancing the region’s political aspirations with a constitutional framework for resolving its long-standing concerns.

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