Government responds to tripartite meet; Patil apprised

Kolkata, Jul 10 (UNI) The West Bengal government is writing a letter to the Centre urging it to convene a tripartite meeting to help ease the situation in Darjeeling, Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee said today.

The Chief Minister told the Assembly that he apprised Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil of the matter yesterday.

'' I agree to the proposal of holding the tripartite meeting as desired by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) to defuse the crisis in the hills and a letter is being sent to the Union government,'' Mr Bhattacharjee said.

He, however, observed that before the tripartite meet, the state government was in favour of having more discussions with the GJM on the vexed issue to help make the meeting a success.

'' We want peace in the hills and hence I had talks with the GJM twice, but there should be more bipartite discussions to remove all doubts and confusions which in turn will make the tripartite meet meaningful and successful,'' Mr Bhattacharjee maintained.

The GJM, spearheading the movement for separate statehood, had earlier rejected the proposal for more bipartite meetings and pressed for convening the tripartite meet.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had written a letter to GJM president Bimal Gurung on July 8 stating the state government was ready to participate in the proposed tripartite meet on Darjeeling.

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