Darjeeling, March 31: For almost a year, vehicles registered in Siliguri have been carrying documents signed by the “district magistrate (DM) of Siliguri” and while the mistake is being attributed to a “printing error”, the issue threatens to snowball into a major controversy.

The motor vehicles department in Siliguri had issued a number of Form 23 for registration stamped by the erroneous seal. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which has been demanding that Siliguri be made part of the proposed Gorkhaland, sees a bigger gameplan in the error. The party feels that certain outfits in the plains are determined to make the subdivision a district rather than be considered part of a new state.

“If this is a mistake, it is of a very sensitive nature. The error coincides with the demand to create a separate district out of the plains area. We will never allow this to happen as Siliguri is part of our proposed Gorkhaland,” said Amar Lama, a central committee member of the Morcha.

The Telegraph is in possession of one such registration certificate issued to a vehicle owner in May 2007. Sources maintain that a fortnight ago even traffic officials of Darjeeling were “confused” on seeing Siliguri papers bearing such a stamp.

Rajesh Pandey, the district magistrate of Darjeeling, has ordered that the seal be removed immediately. “It was a mistake and should not have taken place. I have issued orders to the department concerned to rectify the error at the earliest,” he said.

Rajen Sundas, the assistant regional transport officer of Siliguri, said the joint secretary (transport) has been informed about the mistake so that there are no more printing errors. The officials, however, could not immediately recollect the number of papers that have been erroneously stamped.

D.S. Bomzon, the spokesperson for the CPRM, an anti-GNLF party in the hills, spoke on similar lines as the Morcha and said those responsible for the mistake should be booked.