Darjeeling, Sept. 28: The Gorkha Democratic Front (GDF) today trained the “corruption” gun at the GNLF at a public rally in Kurseong and accused the party of “lacking direction”.
The GDF, a constituent of the six-party United Front formed to take on the GNLF in the coming elections, alleged gross irregularities in the mid-day meal schemes for schoolchildren.
Tackling corruption, the leaders said, was the greatest challenge for the Opposition parties in the hills.
Speaking at the rally, GDF president Madam Tamang said: “Every month, 3,885 quintals of rice are brought to the hills to be distributed among schoolchildren, but they never get their quota of 3 kg every month.”
Tamang pointed an accusing finger at headmasters of the schools, saying one could not rule out the possibility of their involvement in the scam.
Apart from the mid-day scheme, the party also said an amount of Rs 80 lakh was cleared for the publishers to distribute books to the schoolchildren.
“The winter vacation is approaching, but there are no signs of the books,” they said. “Is it just a coincidence that most contracts for mid-day meals and textbooks are bagged by members of a certain business community only,” Tamang asked.
He also alleged that certain leaders were paid a commission of 50 paise for every kilogram of tea produced in Darjeeling. “That is why problems of the tea-gardens have not been properly addressed.”
Accusing the GNLF of lacking direction, Tamang said: “Crores were spent on making helipads at Senchal (Tiger Hill) and near Rangbull. The helipads were not completed and these places have lost their significance. It would have made sense to use the money for the construction of Gorkha Bhawan in Calcutta, and the Pintall village in Siliguri.”
“The national highway is in a bad state, and no one is bothered. Instead of going to Delhi to get funds for the highway, Subash Ghisingh has gone to Singapore,” Tamang said.
Articles published along these lines by the now defunct Illustrated Weekly in 1990 were also distributed to the people at the rally.
