Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista on Wednesday held a “review meeting” not just with the district administration but also officials of the autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), betraying signs that the hill body's control was slipping away from the elected representatives.

The GTA Sabha, which was formed under a state Act, has 45 elected members. Anit Thapa is the chief executive of the GTA.

Neither Thapa nor any of the elected representatives were invited to the meeting that was held at the Darjeeling Tourist Lodge. BJP MLAs of Kalimpong, Kurseong and Darjeeling were present at the meeting.

Asked whether Thapa and the elected representatives were being bypassed, Bista said: “I did not think it was necessary to call the GTA chairman (chief executive) to this meeting. Also, I do not want to sit for a meeting with him.”

Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) is an ally of the Trinamool Congress.

Bista said that the meeting was called to understand the functioning of the GTA and the district administration, which is not under the purview of the hill body.

That Bista chaired a meeting with GTA officials without the participation of elected members showed that the BGPM was gradually losing its grip on the hill body. Political analysts said it was bound to happen with the change of guard in Bengal and the disintegration of Trinamool.

The Darjeeling MP said that there was corruption and nepotism in the hill body.

“All dhanda (corrupt practices) ends now,” said Bista.

The Darjeeling MP said the Trinamool government didn't support the GTA.

“The GTA needed around ₹500 to 600 crore (annually). The state budget was to the tune of ₹200 crore, but even then, it only allocated around ₹160 crore…. Of the 57 departments, only 25 were fully transferred to the GTA. This was, however, bound to happen when one surrenders (to the state government),” said Bista.

The BJP has, however, promised another setup for the hills, whose contours are not yet public.

“Along with the interlocutor (appointed by the Centre to look into the hill issue), I will call on the chief minister in Calcutta tomorrow,” said Bista.

Bista also said that the state government would provide a job to each family of Gorkhaland martyrs who had died between 2007 and 2017.

The MP said urban development and municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul would visit Darjeeling on June 7 and 8. Another delegation of experts will visit the hills to look into issues concerning the Darjeeling Hills University, the MP added.

Bista said an investigation needed to be launched into the GTA's utilisation of ₹400 crore meant for disaster relief.

“The GTA is not generating any revenue as revenue-generating sources have been handed over to others (through lease),” said Bista.