The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has filed an FIR against then adviser to the GTA, who allegedly communicated with the Centre about lifting 14,000 metric tonnes (MT) of Bengal gram (chana dal) under the government of India’s Bharat Dal scheme without the hill body’s knowledge in 2024.
This subsidised chana dal was supposed to help the public afford food. The accused, Sanju Chettri, allegedly liaised with an Agra-based private firm in a bid to lift, process, package and distribute the Centre’s allocated chana dal, citing it was on the
GTA’s behalf.
A GTA official said the hill body recently lodged an FIR against Chettri, who was appointed adviser to the department of agriculture, land and land reforms and sericulture by Satish Pokhrel, then an executive member of the GTA Sabha who headed
the department.
“We have filed an FIR against one Sanju Chettri who undertook activities without being authorised by the GTA,” said an official.
On whether the FIR was filed against Pokhrel as well, the source said: “He was an adviser apparently appointed by a Sabha member and we have mentioned it in
the complaint.”
According to information collated by The Telegraph from various sources, including an RTI response received by Phinjo Wangyal Gurung, a core group member of the Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF), Chettri did make key communications with the Centre for the release of the Bengal gram, apparently without the GTA being in
the loop.
The sequence of events in 2024 is as follows:
March 5: A day after being appointed “adviser” to the GTA’s agriculture department, Chettri wrote to the Union ministry of consumer affairs, requesting that 47,500 MT of chana (gram) be earmarked for the GTA under the Bharat Dal scheme, citing rising retail prices and the need to stabilise pulse prices in
the hills.
April 8: The Union ministry consumer affairs approved an allocation of 14,000 MT of chana and directed the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) to coordinate with the GTA for its supply in three phases.
July 9: A letter signed by Chettri informed the NCCF that Agra-based private firm Jeevshakti Products Pvt Ltd was appointed as the nodal agency to lift, process, package and distribute the allocated chana on behalf of the GTA.
October 4: Another letter to the ministry of consumer affairs signed by Chettri defended the appointment, stating that Jeevshakti Products was functioning as the GTA’s implementing agency and not as a private entity, and requested that an advance payment of ₹2.25 crore made by this company to the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) be accepted.
Satish Pokhrel, who recently announced his resignation from the GTA, said the hill body had not authorised this project.
“It is true that Sanju Chettri was appointed as an adviser to the department. However, the GTA did not provide a go-ahead for this project. In fact, the GTA had decided in one of its Sabha meetings not to go ahead with it,” said Pokhrel.
Pokhrel added that he had also filed an FIR against Chettri for “forging” his signatures and “misusing” his position. “Once I came to know of his wrongdoings, I immediately removed Chettri from his post,” he added.
Pokhrel, however, clarified that ultimately the Agra-based Jeevshakti Products company did not lift the 14,000 MT of chana and that NAFED returned the ₹2.25 crore to the company.
“There has been no corruption by the GTA as has been alleged by some,” Pokhrel claimed.
Chettri could not be contacted for comments.