Binay Tamang, the former chairman of the board of administrators of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and a close former aide of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung, has requested the Bengal government to conduct an inquiry into corruption issues since 2008.

Gurung formed the Morcha in 2007. As assistant general secretary, Tamang was among the top three leaders of the party. Subash Ghisingh, who headed the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), had to resign in 2008 following Gurung’s rise.

“Bimal Gurung was the de facto in charge of DGHC from 2008 onwards. The then principal secretary of DGHC B.L. Meena used to visit him,” Tamang, who is still an elected GTA Sabha member, said on Sunday. DGHC was run by a government-run administrator from 2008 onwards till the GTA replaced it in 2011.

Gurung was elected as the GTA chief executive from 2012 to 2017. Once Gurung started the Gorkhaland agitation in 2017, Tamang and Anit Thapa rebelled against Gurung and the duo were given charge of GTA by the then TMC government.

In 2022, Anit Thapa ousted Tamang and formed his party, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM)

“Everyone is talking about an inquiry for a specific period. I, however, request that the state government initiate an inquiry into the matter from 2008. Let there be an inquiry during my 18-month tenure in charge of GTA,” said Tamang.

Bimal Gurung has been demanding an inquiry into the workings of the GTA from 2017. Thapa wants the inquiry to look into corruption charges from 2012 onwards.