Food and essential supplies reach Darjeeling

Siliguri, June 14 : Supply of food and essentials were being restored to the Darjeeling hills after the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJMM) decided to relax the indefinite shutdown call, till June 16. he GJMM was helping the administration in sending food and essentials to the hills, as 50 trucks loaded with essentials were sent to Darjeeling hills till Saturday morning and more vehicles were on their way, District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey said.

Siliguri Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Smita Pandey said that though life was limping back to normal, the administration had taken precautionary measures.

Five companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed on Friday and prohibitory orders under section 144 (CRPC) promulgated in areas under Siliguri and Badhannagar police station would continue on Saturday, she said.

GJMM comprising about half a dozen parties has been organizing protests over the past few months in the Darjeeling hills demanding action for a separate Gorkhaland state. The group had revived the demand for Sixth schedule status while the GJMM, a breakaway faction of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), opposes it demanding full-fledged statehood. The West Bengal Government has been resisting the demands for a separate state for the Gorkhas.

ANI