Ghisingh with the Union home secretary during the earlier round of talks. (File picture)

New Delhi, July 1: The Centre today decided to grant a special status to the Darjeeling region, which means greater autonomy for the hill council and a victory for Subash Ghisingh.

During a meeting with Union home secretary V.K. Duggal Bengal chief secretary A.K. Deb and home secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy, the GNLF chief prevailed over the bureaucrats to ensure the special status under the Sixth Schedule of the constitution.

Both the state and the Centre had initially wanted to ensure more autonomy for the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) under Article 371 of the Constitution.

“The fifth round of talks started from the understanding that we had reached after the last round on March 14. That is, to look into the provisions of Article 371 by including (a new) clause J. But Ghisingh felt Article 371 was not the best way for solving the issue and opted for the Sixth Schedule of the constitution,” Duggal said after the 90-minute meeting. Under the draft clause J (which is yet to be inserted in the constitution), the DGHC would have got more powers, but not up to the Gorkha leader’s liking.

Schedule 6 would ensure DGHC the status of an autonomous self-governing body with more executive, legislative, financial and judicial powers.

After the meeting, an elated Ghisingh said a major decision had been made. “With the Sixth Schedule, the powers of the DGHC will be more comprehensive and development work will speed up.”

However, only tribal- dominated areas are included in the Sixth Schedule and the hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong will have to be first declared as such. Ghisingh has already sought tribal status for all Nepali-speaking communities in the region, including the Brahmins, Kshatriyas and the Newars (traders). Now, less than 5 per cent of the hill people have an official tribal status.

The Bengal chief secretary said: “I am being told that there are ways to solve the issue under the Sixth Schedule.” Yesterday, Deb told reporters in Calcutta that the Bengal government was not averse to the Sixth Schedule status for the hills if the Centre concurred.

Ghisingh said his party, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), will hold elaborate discussions with the state government to work out a mechanism to pave the way for the Sixth Schedule status. After the modalities are thrashed out, he said, a tripartite meeting will be held again.

Duggal said the DGHC elections could be held by September. Ghisingh had earlier said the elections were irrelevant till more autonomy for the council was guaranteed.