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Expressing "surprise and shock" implicit the assignment of an interlocutor to clasp discussions connected the issues relating to Gorkhas, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee connected Saturday (October 18, 2025) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded revocation of the decision.
Ms. Banerjee claimed her authorities was not consulted earlier retired IPS serviceman Pankaj Kumar Singh was appointed arsenic an interlocutor to clasp discussions connected the issues relating to Gorkhas successful Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars regions of West Bengal, which she said was "inconsistent with the tone of cooperative federalism".
"This assignment has been made without immoderate consultation with the Government of West Bengal, adjacent though the issues nether notation straight subordinate to the governance, peace, and administrative stableness of the country nether the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), an autonomous assemblage nether the Government of West Bengal," she said successful the two-page letter.
"Such unilateral enactment is inconsistent with the tone of cooperative federalism that forms 1 of the foundational principles of our Constitution," she added.
CM Banerjee stressed that immoderate inaugural concerning the Gorkha assemblage indispensable impact the West Bengal authorities to guarantee sustained bid and harmony successful the region.
Here goes my missive to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, communicating my astonishment and daze astatine the unilateral assignment by the Government of India of an interlocutor for the issues relating to Gorkhas successful Darjeeling Hills, Tarai and Dooars regions of West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/nNN1OtqAeY
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) October 18, 2025"It whitethorn beryllium recalled that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was constituted pursuing a Tripartite Agreement signed connected 18th July, 2011 astatine Darjeeling, betwixt the Government of India, the Government of West Bengal and the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) successful the beingness of the past Hon'ble Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of West Bengal," she said.
"The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was created to guarantee socio-economic, infrastructural, educational, taste and linguistic developments of the elevation areas, portion safeguarding the taste individuality of the Gorkhas and promoting peaceful co-existence among each communities, a hallmark of the unity and harmony of the hills," she noted.
The CM said bid and harmony person been prevailing successful the elevation districts of the state, which has been imaginable with the concerted and continuous efforts made by her authorities aft it came to powerfulness successful 2011.
"We are committed to proceed with our affirmative efforts successful that direction," she said.
Ms. Banerjee said the West Bengal authorities is firmly of the presumption that immoderate inaugural concerning the Gorkha assemblage oregon the GTA portion indispensable beryllium undertaken successful afloat consultation with it, successful bid to sphere the "hard-earned bid and tranquillity successful the region".
"Any unilateral enactment successful this delicate substance volition not beryllium successful involvement of bid and harmony successful the region," she maintained.
"I would, therefore, petition you to kindly re-consider and revoke this assignment bid issued without anterior and owed consultation with the Government of West Bengal, arsenic is expected successful the existent tone of federalism and communal respect betwixt the Union and the States," she said.
