MHA begins tripartite talks with Gorkha leaders and Bengal Govt.
The Hindu
Talks chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah ‘aimed at resolving issues related to the Gorkhas’
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday began tripartite talks with Gorkha representatives from the Darjeeling hills, and the Terai and Dooars regions, and the Government of West Bengal.
The MHA said in a statement that “the talks aimed at resolving the issues related to the Gorkhas”, and are chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah. The Gorkha delegation was led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista, who highlighted various issues concerning the Gorkhas and the region.
More than 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh, once celebrated as the government’s grassroots champions for their crucial role in implementing welfare schemes, are now in a dilemma after learning that their tenure has not been renewed after August 2023 even though they have been paid honoraria till June 2024. Disowned by both YSRCP, which was in power when they were appointed, and the current ruling TDP, which made a poll promise to double their pay, these former volunteers are ruing the day they signed up for the role which they don’t know if even still exists