Siliguri, Jan.1: The Forward Bloc leaders of Jalpaiguri today demanded Sixth Schedule status for the five Assembly constituencies of the district that are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

At a news conference today, district Bloc secretary Govinda Roy said: “In Jalpaiguri we have five Assembly constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Since the special status is for areas dominated by the tribal population, we want these constituencies to be included in the Sixth Schedule. It would mean more financial and other assistance for the backward tribal population.”

The areas demanded by the Bloc are more or less the same as the ones that the hill parties clamouring for Gorkhaland want. At a meeting in Sukna on December 9, the general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Roshan Giri, had demanded the inclusion of the entire Dooars — from Malbazar to Alipurduar — under the proposed separate state.

Roy, on the other hand, was referring to the Malbazar, Nagrakata, Kalchini, Kumargram and Birpara-Madarihat constituencies. “We have discussed the issue with senior leaders of our party,” a state secretariat member of the Bloc said.

Bloc state secretary Ashok Ghosh refused to react without talking to Roy. “But this much I can say, nothing of this sort was included in the Bolpur resolution that we had adopted in the state council meeting last month,” said Ghosh in Calcutta.

According to Roy there was nothing wrong with the Bloc demand as none of the three hill constituencies — Kurseong, Darjeeling and Kalimpong — are reserved under the Scheduled Tribe category and yet are expected to enjoy Sixth Schedule status.

Roy, a former-MLA of Jalpaiguri and an ex-member of North Bengal Development Council, said the funds allocated for growth projects in the six districts of the region were not enough.

“The district-wise allocation comes to Rs 5-6 crore a year, which is quite low if the backwardness of the region is considered. We want the state government to increase the allocation and also approach the Centre for funds,” he said.

The council also needs to be monitored through a separate state department, the Bloc feels.

The Bloc leader threatened that his party would launch a “militant movement” if the funds allotted for the council are not increased and its infrastructure not improved.