The Centre on Thursday assured a delegation of political leaders from the Darjeeling hills that it would resolve the issues concerning the region in coordination with the Bengal government.

The assurance was given at a meeting chaired by junior home minister Nityanand Rai in Delhi. Although the Centre had convened a tripartite meeting, the talks became bipartite without the Bengal government's representatives.

Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista led the hill delegation.

Following the meeting, the ministry of home affairs issued a media release on “tripartite meeting to resolve issues related to Gorkhas”.

The release said the minister listened to the representatives “attentively and assured” them that the “all round development and security of the region are among the priorities” of the Centre.

The Darjeeling region borders Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

“He (Rai) further assured that the Central Government would resolve issues of Gorkhas, within the constitutional framework, in coordination with the Government of West Bengal,” the statement reads.

Bista said Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant was expected to attend the meeting. “Once again, disrespecting the federal structure, the Bengal government failed to attend the meeting,” the MP said in a written statement.

Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba, Kalchini MLA Bishal Lama and leaders from BJP's allies like the Gorkha National Liberation Front, CPRM, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Gorkhaland Rajya Nirmal Morcha and SUMETI Mukti Morcha were among the participants in the talks.

They told the media that demand for a "permanent political solution" or (PPS) for the hills and tribal status to 11 hill communities, and the Bengal government’s recent decision to allow non-tea activities in 30 per cent of land in tea gardens featured in the talks.

Bista said the “discussions were centered on various forms of solution under the Constitution of India”. However, details of the discussions on the "various forms of solution" were not immediately disclosed.

A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha source said Union home minister Amit Shah had taken up with the party last year the topic of an administrative setup similar to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) for the hills. The BTC has legislative powers, unlike the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration of Darjeeling.

“This matter, however, was not taken up at today’s meeting,” the source added.

The Centre had last convened a meeting to discuss Darjeeling-related issues in October 2021.

The BJP had promised the "permanent political solution" — without defining the term — and tribal status to the 11 communities in the manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"The Centre said it was aware of the issues of Darjeeling", said a Darjeeling delegate on Thursday.

Union home secretary Govind Mohan, registrar general of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, joint secretary, ministry of tribal affairs, Roumuan Paite and other senior officers of the home ministry were present at the meeting on Thursday.

Additional reporting by Imran Ahmed Siddiqui in New Delhi