The Centre on Saturday constituted a committee to draft an agreement and finalise modalities for a "permanent political solution" to the Gorkha identity issue in the Darjeeling hills and its adjacent areas, officials said after a key tripartite meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gorkha leaders and the West Bengal government.
The meeting aimed to find a roadmap for the BJP-promised "permanent political solution" to the long-standing issues and demands of the hill people and their recognition under the ambit of the Constitution.
"All issues relating to the hill population of West Bengal were discussed in detail.
Their demands pertaining to a distinct identity, a permanent political solution and recognition under the Constitution of India were taken up.
The Union home minister promised a permanent political solution soon under the umbrella of the Constitution," a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.
The Centre on Saturday constituted a committee to draft an agreement and finalise modalities for a "permanent political solution" to the Gorkha identity issue in the Darjeeling hills and its adjacent areas, officials said after a key tripartite meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gorkha leaders and the West Bengal government.
The meeting aimed to find a roadmap for the BJP-promised "permanent political solution" to the long-standing issues and demands of the hill people and their recognition under the ambit of the Constitution.
"All issues relating to the hill population of West Bengal were discussed in detail. Their demands pertaining to a distinct identity, a permanent political solution and recognition under the Constitution of India were taken up. The Union home minister promised a permanent political solution soon under the umbrella of the Constitution," a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.
"To finalise modalities, it was decided to form a committee under Shri Pankaj Kumar Singh, former deputy national security advisor and current interlocutor, to finalise the details regarding the final agreement that will be drafted towards a permanent political solution for the people of the hill areas of West Bengal under the Constitution of India," the statement added.
Shah, the release said, also promised to sympathetically look into all other demands of the community. "He said that adequate funding from the Centre will ensure all pending issues are taken care of," the communication added.
