A deserted Darjeeling road on the first day of the bandh. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Feb. 20: The Bengal government today appointed the Darjeeling district magistrate as the interim principal secretary of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) even as the hills remained shut on the first day of the indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

The tenure of incumbent principal secretary of the DGHC, D.T. Tamlong, came to an end yesterday following which the district magistrate was asked to take charge of the council for the first time since it was formed 20 years ago.

Although bureaucrats have always headed the council, this is the first time that an IAS officer in charge of the district administration has been told to look after a parallel administration.

“I received the government order today,” said Rajesh Pandey, the district magistrate of Darjeeling.

Tamlong had been appointed the principal secretary of the council on a six-month contract. “I did not resign but had communicated my unwillingness to continue in the post on personal grounds,” Tamlong said.

The Morcha had earlier demanded that all secretaries and officials of the council should resign from their posts within February 29. In the past couple of weeks, two secretaries of the council had put in their papers citing personal reasons.

The party led by Bimal Gurung has called for an indefinite bandh, demanding the removal of Subash Ghisingh, the caretaker administrator of the DGHC. Although the bandh was near total, educational institutions have been kept outside its purview.

Tea industry sources said only about 12 of the 87 gardens functioned normally.

While Morcha supporters moved across the town carrying black flags, a larger number of protesters camped outside the Jalapahar cantonment to stop Ghisingh from landing at the army helipad.