New Delhi

The Centre on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that the West Bengal government did not participate in two out of three tripartite meetings held to discuss issues concerning the Gorkha community, and had only limited presence in the third.

Responding to a query by Trinamool Congress MP Bapi Haldar, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai explained the sequence of events leading to the appointment of a Central interlocutor for addressing Gorkha-related concerns.

He noted that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration was established under a tripartite agreement signed in 2011 between the Centre, the West Bengal government, and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. However, the administration became defunct after all its elected members resigned in July 2017.

Rai said that in response to repeated demands from Gorkha leaders for dialogue, the Ministry of Home Affairs convened three meetings on October 7, 2020, October 12, 2021, and April 3, 2025. He pointed out that the West Bengal government was absent from two of these meetings and did not have meaningful participation in the third.

Following these developments, the Centre appointed an interlocutor to engage with stakeholders, including representatives of various Gorkha organisations, to facilitate discussions on issues affecting the Darjeeling Hills, as well as the Terai and Dooars regions.

The minister added that the interlocutor’s tenure has been fixed for one year, during which they will hold consultations and recommend measures aimed at resolving long-standing concerns.

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According to the terms of reference, the interlocutor will work towards identifying solutions, propose a roadmap, and suggest steps for socio-economic development, cultural recognition, and preservation of Gorkha heritage, while addressing their aspirations within the framework of the Constitution.