Calcutta, June 26: More autonomy to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council would be discussed at tomorrow’s talks, not statehood, said chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb today.

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders are scheduled to be at Writers’ Buildings tomorrow for talks with Buddha- deb Bhattacharjee government.

“We will definitely hold talks with an open mind. However, our chief minister has said several times that the question of dividing the state does not arise. So, there can be no discussion on the creation of Gorkhaland during tomorrow’s meeting that will be chaired by the chief minister,” Deb said.

“As far as granting more autonomy and offering more administrative and financial powers to the hill council is concerned, there can always be talks on this,” the chief secretary said.

“We can also discuss whether that can be done within the existing DGHC structure or whether a new body needs to be created, armed with more powers.”

According to a source in the chief minister’s secretariat, the government may ask the Morcha if it wants to replace the hill council with a zilla parishad.

Home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti echoed the chief secretary, saying that the stated position of the government was that statehood cannot be accor- ded but talks on granting “wide-ranging powers to the hill council’’ can be discu-ssed.

“Our government’s stand on Gorkhaland has been made clear by the chief minister and there should be no confusion about it, though we did not set preconditions to talks,” Chakrabarti said.

“We want dialogue, not confrontation, with the Morcha. We want return of normality in the hills, resto- ration of law and order and execution of develop- ment work in Darjeeling,” he said.

“There is always a scope for discussing how to make the hill council stronger or whether any alternative to the DGHC can be thought of if that suits both the government and the Morcha.”