Tourists should not visit Darjeeling: Minister

Kolkata, Apr 30 (UNI) West Bengal Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharjee today said tourists should not visit Darjeeling, the popular hill station of West Bengal, this summer because of continuing unrest.

'' We are anticipating political unrest because of the fast-till-death resolution of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supporters. Tourists should not to visit Darjeeling this summer, or else they will have to face problems like scarcity of water, black outs and frequent road blockades, '' he told reporters at the Writers' Buildings.

Mr Bhattacharjee also blamed the Opposition Trinamool Congress, Congress and the BJP allegedly for lending 'indirect support' to the GJM, which was perpetuating disturbances.

Spearheading an agitation, the Gorkha Janmukti, led by Bimal Gurung, had asked the hill people to stop paying all taxes, electricity and telephone bills demanding statehood for Darjeeling instead of a sixth schedule status.

The Centre had announced in 2005 the Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), then captured by the Subash Ghisingh-led Gorkha National Liberation Front(GNLF), ensuring autonomy to the region.

Mr Gurung, who belonged to the GNLF, later formed GJM to take the wind out of the sail of Mr Ghisingh, his mentor to revive the demand for a separate statehood.

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