Darjeeling, April 20: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha- controlled Darjeeling Municipality has decided to terminate the services of six employees after allegedly detecting anomalies in their appointments.

Dinesh Gurung, the vice-chairman of the civic body, today said: “These appointments were made by the previous GNLF board at the behest of Deepak Gurung, the Darjeeling committee president of the party, and Aita Raj Dewan, the branch secretary.”

The six were appointed in the Group C and Group D categories in 2005 and have been identified as close relatives of the present group of councillors, the vice-chairman said. Some of these councillors have switched sides and are now members of the Morcha.

Under the West Bengal Municipality Act 1993, no civic body can appoint an employee to any post irrespective of its category without prior approval of the state government.

A labour department circular (No. 5120 LW dated 17-10-1977) states that all candidates should be short-listed through the employment exchange. If the exchange fails to provide qualified candidates, the municipality must, with the prior approval of the state government, advertise for the job through newspapers.

“Even though the earlier board had written a letter to the government to approve the appointments after they were made, the state has not given the nod,” said Gurung. He added that all government norms and rules for appointment have been flouted.

The Telegraph, which had reported the irregular appointments of 72 employees in July last year, had been told by the GNLF board then that “this happens in other municipalities as well”.

The office of the Bengal accountant general had said the appointments were illegal and the state government cannot regularise or take the responsibility of these employees in matters related to salaries, promotion and other benefits.

“We are also scrutinising the appointments in the conservancy department. If we find any anomaly we will terminate their services as well,” said Gurung.

The municipality board has also alleged that Pranay Rai, the Darjeeling MLA, was using an employee of the conservancy department as his personal driver.

“We will take action against the driver for not attending to his duty at the municipality,” said Gurung.

Rai, however, could not be contacted.