“Darjeeling needs development first, and the government should take it up on an urgent basis. Other things will come later,” Singh, who is visiting his constituency, told mediapersons after meeting leaders of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

Singh, who received a lukewarm response from locals, held a meeting with Morcha leaders. However, Morcha president Bimal Gurung was conspicuous by his absence.

Amid this, Minister for Urban Development in the Left Front government Ashok Bhattacharya said that his government wanted a constitutional status for the proposed alternative administrative framework in the hills, which will replace the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.

Speaking to mediapersons in Kolkata ahead of the

May 11 bureaucratic-level talks on the proposed council, Bhattacharya said: “More powers should be given to the council. The new set-up must enjoy a constitutional status to make it strong.”

Bhattacharya, who met Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen and Home Secretary Samar Ghosh to discuss the issue, reiterated the government’s stand on the geographical area of the proposed council. He said the government’s stand on it remains the same and it would include only three sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.

The Morcha, which is vehemently pushing for the inclusion of Siliguri, Dooars and Terai region, refused to comment on the minister’s statement. “Let them give us in writing and only then we can say something,” said Amar Lama, Morcha general secretary. The next political-level tripartite talk is slated to be held in Delhi, tentatively on May 25.