Darjeeling, Aug. 22: The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) has protested against the reported delimitation of Siliguri and Phansidewa Assembly segments in the plains and has demanded that nine segments be carved out of the three hill constituencies of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.

The party, which has for long been pressing for more segments in the hills, rued the fact that while political parties had constantly demanded more representatives from the hills, the Delimitation Commission had decided to look the other way.

The party also sent a memorandum to the chairman of the Delimitation Commission today, explaining the need for the proper representation of the hill people in the state Assembly.

R.B. Rai, the general secretary of CPRM, said: “Darjeeling hills has a population of more than 4,08,000. However, Sikkim, which has a much smaller population, has an Assembly consisting of 32 members. We, however, send only three members to an Assembly which has 294 members.”

Rai, alleged that this was the primary reason why the voice of the hill people could not be heard in the Assembly.

The party has also approached Dawa Narbula, the Congress Lok Sabha member from Darjeeling, and requested him to raise the issue at the right forum.

Apart from the delimitation of the Assembly segments, the CPRM also wants a separate parliamentary seat to be carved out of the areas under the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. At present, the Darjeeling seat encompasses the Assembly segments of Siliguri, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Phansidewa and Islampur-Chopra.

Putting forward its case, the CPRM pointed towards various parliamentary constituencies across the country which have been carved out of populations less than that in the DGHC areas.