Darjeeling, April 29: Darjeeling tourists had to make last-minute changes to their travel plans today as taxi syndicates decided to take a large part of the day off to press for Gorkhaland.

No taxi was available from 10am to 2pm.

“We are holding a meeting to strengthen Bimal Gurung’s stand on Gorkhaland,” said Narbu Lama, the president of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-led taximen’s union.

The Morcha had promised that unlike the Gorkhaland agitation of the 1980s, its movement for a new state would not inconvenience tourists. However, the scenes in Darjeeling today told a different story.

Abhijit Majumdar from Calcutta was one of those who cut short his family holiday and left the town early. “We have to board a bus from Siliguri in the evening. We were supposed to leave in the afternoon,” he said before boarding a taxi at 9am.

Sikna Brahma of Assam was angry that he had to spend most of the day cooped up in the hotel. “I went to Tiger Hill early this morning. But we missed the Batasia Loop and the Dali monasteries. We are leaving for Gangtok tomorrow.”

The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the Darjeeling zoo and the rock garden wore a deserted look.

Brahma walked 3km uphill to see the Peace Pagoda.

Tourism is one of the pillars of the hill economy and the transport business depends heavily on tourists, particularly during this season.

Pradeep Tamang of the local travel agents’ association said business had just been peaking after a lull.

Morcha threat

Gurung today said the hill people would not pay taxes or power bills. “If the lines are disconnected, we’ll stop work at the power plants that feed Siliguri,” he added.