An armed policeman stands guard outside Ghisingh’s cottage in Pintail Village. A Telegraph picture

Darjeeling, Feb 18: The GNLF-controlled Darjeeling Municipality has decided to stop supplying drinking water and refrain from clearing the garbage in town as part of its “indefinite strike” starting tomorrow.

Pema (Buddha) Yolmo, who was elected the new chairperson by the 15 GNLF municipality councillors on Saturday, said: “We will neither clear the garbage nor supply water since our senior sanitary inspector has reported that the staff could not go about doing their normal duty today.”

The 32 wards of the municipality generate about 62 metric tonnes of waste and on any normal day the civic body is able to lift only about 30 metric tonnes.

In fact, garbage was not lifted today as the civic body, along with the nationalised banks and post offices, is the latest addition to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s list of “government establishments” that will remain closed for an indefinite period. However, the banks, along with post offices, will remain open twice a week. The party has been agitating for Subash Ghisingh’s removal as caretaker administrator of the DGHC. The Morcha has alleged that the election to the post of the civic chairperson was illegal and that is why it has been made a part of the shutdown.

The GNLF has denied the charge and has laid down three conditions for withdrawing its strike. “The Darjeeling Paathpasala (hawkers) Sangh has stopped paying taxes (from February 13). We want these people to give us in writing that they will start paying again,” said Yolmo.

The traders (474 of them), on the other hand, claimed that despite being owners of permanent structures, the GNLF-controlled board has not recognised their business and continues to collect daily taxes (Rs 10) labelling them as “hawkers”.

The GNLF also wants the Morcha flag that was planted atop the municipality to be removed. “Only the national flag can flutter from that tower,” said Yolmo. The third condition is that Morcha leader Dinesh Gurung should pay for the damages done to the municipality’s conservancy vehicles and to the building. On Saturday, the Morcha had led siege to the civic building, determined to prevent the election of the chairman. The GNLF alleged that Morcha supporters led by Gurung had broken windscreens and damaged some of the vehicles parked on the municipality campus.

“We will lift our indefinite strike only if these three conditions are met,” said Yolmo.

In Calcutta, Bengal home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the situation in the hills was “worrisome”. Ray, however, said tourists visiting Darjeeling are safe. Those feeling unsafe would be brought down to the plains, he added.

Asked if the government would appoint an administrator when Ghisingh’s tenure as caretaker administrator comes to an end on March 24, Ray averted the question and said: “This is a political decision.”

Municipal affairs minister Ashok Bhattacharyya described the Morcha agitation as destructive. “Tourism, education and the economy of the hills are suffering because of the Morcha blockade.”