Calcutta, Feb. 29: Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said Subash Ghisingh would step down as caretaker administrator of the DGHC within 10 days. The tenure of the GNLF chief ends on March 24.

Bhattacharjee’s message was conveyed to a visiting delegation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which today withdrew its indefinite bandh and hunger strike that were launched to demand Ghisingh’s removal and the scrapping of the Sixth Schedule bill.

A written statement issued by Bhattacharjee after meeting Morcha leaders at Writers’ Buildings read: “Subash Ghisingh, the administrator of the DGHC, has said he will resign within the next 10 days.”

Bengal home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the bill on the Sixth Schedule is likely to be sent back to the state government in the wake of yesterday’s standing committee report, which has recommended a re-assessment of the draft taking into view the ground realities. “I am told that the bill would be returned to the state. But it has not been formally conveyed to the government as yet,’’ Ray added.

Bhattacharjee, too, told the Morcha leaders that the bill would be referred back to the government.

“Ghisingh has 10 days to remove all his belongings from Lal Kothi or else face eviction on March 11. The chief minister gave us these assurances and so we are calling off the bandh and the fast. But we will launch a peaceful movement for Gorkhaland which will include, along with the hills, Siliguri and the Dooars,’’ Gurung said at a news conference.