The Darjeeling MP Raju Bista today maintaining that “parja patta” was the second most important demand after Gorkhaland, said that they welcomed anyone who was working for the issue but the BJP would not allow people to be fooled in its name.
The issue of parja-patta is on the headlines here, after the GTA chief executive Anit Thapa recently said that it would be handed over soon with surveys for it also started in some tea gardens.
Bista was speaking on the sidelines of a visit to Mahakal Mandir here on Shivratri where he said, that only 5 decimals of land would be given in place of the acres of ancestral land the tea garden workers have. He said that this is a conspiracy of the GTA and the TMC, but they would not be successful in that.
“There is information that they will be given that amount of land as ‘refugee patta’ like beggars which they do not want. I will protest if it happens. The people cannot be removed from their land forcefully as the BJP is standing with them,” he said adding that they should have rights to sell it later or even take out loans against it.
The Darjeeling MP also stressed on the need of a 3-tier panchayat elections instead of a 2-tier one while also maintaining that even if a 2-tier polls is held they would contest.
“If the entire West Bengal is having a 3-tier panchayat election, then why should this place have a 2-tier panchayat election. The panchayat is a state subject and they must take the decision. The centre is also pushing the matter,” said Bista.
Even though demanding for a 3-tier panchayat poll, he said that the GTA and the TMC should not have the misconception that the BJP would not participate in a two-tire panchayat election.
“We will contest it and the BJP will emerge victorious. For the panchayat central funds will come, and we will bypass the state government and directly carry our development activities,” he said.
