WB Govt's Ultimatum to Darjeeling's Ration Shops

SILIGURI : North Bengal Development minister Gautam Deb today said if the owners of the ration shops in Darjeeling hills don't open their shops within next 72-hours, then their licences will be cancelled."If the owners of the ration shops in Darjeeling hills don't open their shops within next 72-hours, then the state government will cancel their licences and new licences will be given to other people," Deb told reporters here.The minister said the West Bengal government would attend the tripartite meeting to be called by the Centre to discuss the demand of the GJM for Gorkhaland only if it assures the state government that there would be no division of Bengal.

"Only if we get an assurance from the Centre that there would be no division of Bengal, then only the state government would attend the tripartite meeting to be called by the Union Home secretary to discuss the Gorkhaland issue," he said.Union Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde on September three had told a delegation from the Darjeeling hills seeking statehood that the Centre would convene a tripartite meeting to discuss the issue, but appealed to the hill leadership to call off the strike. The West Bengal government is taking all steps necessary to bring peace and normalcy in the Darjeeling hills, Deb said.