Kolkata: West Bengal government on Monday pleaded before the Calcutta High Court to ask the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) to pay Rs 69.163 crore as compensation for losses caused to public and private property during its agitation demanding a separate state in the Darjeeling Hills.
Submitting a report before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi, the government pleaded that GJM be asked "to pay a compensation of Rs 69.163 crore to the state as well as the public and private property who suffered losses immediately by GJM."
The division bench, however, adjourned till September 26 the hearing in the PIL against the agitation called by GJM in Darjeeling Hills and directed all parties in the matter to file affidavits stating their position.
The GJM counsel informed the bench that the Hills party has moved a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging its earlier directions on maintenance of normalcy in the Hills.
The bench had also asked GJM to explain why it should not be asked to compensate for losses to public and private property in violence during their agitation.
With the GJM counsel informing the bench that the Supreme Court has fixed the matter for hearing on September 16, the division bench adjourned the hearing in the matter till September 26 and directed all parties to file affidavits in the meantime, stating their position on the petitioner's plea that GJM has violated the court's order on maintaining normalcy in the Hills.
The state government, in its report, told the division bench that violence and enforcement of bandh in Darjeeling district by GJM demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland has caused losses to the tune of hundreds of crores of Rupees.
The GJM-called bandh had started on July 29 and apart from relaxations on a few occasions, it has continued in the guise of movements like 'janta curfew' and 'ghar bhitri janta', the report stated.
Responding to a direction to file a compliance report on the court's order to ensure normal life in the Hill district in connection with the PIL against the bandh, the state government submitted that despite efforts to ensure normal life, the GJM continued its bandh in the guise of movements like 'janta curfew' and 'ghar bhitri janta'.
The government stated that "the people in the hill sub-divisions of the district are being coerced and intimidated for not coming out of their houses so as to give an impression to the outside world that it is a popular movement."
In its report, the state claimed that the tea industry in Darjeeling has already suffered a loss of over Rs 11 crore and is likely to suffer another Rs nine crore loss for the month of August only.
It was stated that "the Darjeeling tourism sector apprehends a loss of over Rs 150 crore worth business during the coming festive season." It was also stated that a loss of Rs 46 lakh was incurred owing to the burning of Takdah Forest House and Pokhriabong police outpost allegedly by GJM supporters during the bandh.
The report said that 47 criminal cases have been registered till August 11 and 201 persons were arrested.
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