“We are against a separate state but we support the demand for more development in the Hills. The region has been stagnating, as there is no water, power and jobs in the Hills,” she said.

Mamata also accused the state government of deliberately inciting an ethnic clash between Nepalese and non-Nepalese. “Why was no solution to the problem found in the last 20 years?” she asked.

She reiterated her stand that she would attend an all-party meeting called by the chief minister only if all political parties were invited to it. She was referring to the chief minister’s decision to invite Gorkha Janmukti Morcha for a one-to-one meeting, which the latter had rejected.

“Why does Buddhadeb babu want to hold clandestine talks? Why can’t there be transparency about the issue?” she asked. The Chief Minister had said that he would not include the GJM in the all-party political meeting, as it was not a registered political party. But, he had sent an official note addressed to Gurung as the “President of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, said Mamata.

Trinamool chief talks of good governance
In a conference attended by over 5,000 party workers from South 24 Parganas on Sunday, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said transparency, efficiency and non-violence were the key to good governance at the grassroots. The Trinamool has won the South 24 Parganas Zila Parishad, once a CPM stronghold, and secured a majority in the lower tiers of the panchayat in the rural polls. Shamima Sheikh was announced as the Zila Parishad sabhadhipati of South 24 Parganas.

The Trinamool chief asked her partymen not to show any favouritism while undertaking development work at the panchayat level.

She said to her partymen: “CPM cadres will try to incite clashes. Do not fall into their trap.” Mamata also asked the newly-elected panchayat to ensure that the ration under PDS reaches the poor.