CM cracks down on GTA, replaces political administrators in Hill municipalities
The Statesman | 30 May 2026
The changing political landscape of West Bengal now appears set to trigger a major administrative and political realignment in the Darjeeling hills, with the state government initiating sweeping interventions in the functioning of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and hill municipalities.
Soon after a crucial meeting with Darjeeling MP , three hill MLAs and leaders of the led by Bimal Gurung , Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday announced a major administrative overhaul in the hills.
In a significant departure from the earlier system where political functionaries were appointed as administrators of municipalities, the state government has now decided to appoint Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) as administrators in the municipalities of Mirik, Kurseong and Kalimpong. Political observers see the move as a direct assertion of administrative control over the hills amid mounting allegations of corruption and non-performance within the GTA structure.
Addressing the media at Nabanna, the Chief Minister launched a sharp attack on the functioning of the GTA, alleging massive administrative failure and financial irregularities.
“The GTA neither executed development work nor showed any intention to work,” the Chief Minister said while referring to the alleged non-utilisation of state funds.
According to him, the state government had released Rs 180 crore to the GTA during the previous financial year, but no utilisation certificate was submitted. He further claimed that although Rs 170 crore had been earmarked for the GTA in the 2026-27 Budget, not a single rupee was released because the authority failed to submit its Annual Action Plan.
The Chief Minister announced that GTA Principal Secretary has been instructed to coordinate directly with MPs, MLAs and local public representatives to ensure that developmental activities and civic services do not collapse in the hill areas.
He also indicated that the state government would bypass political bottlenecks and move towards a “short-term development plan” for the four hill municipal areas to restore basic civic infrastructure and public services.
In perhaps the strongest signal yet of impending action against alleged corruption in the hills, the Chief Minister said a detailed administrative report on the GTA would be prepared within ten days, following which “appropriate action” would be initiated.
The state government has also ordered investigations into alleged corruption in projects worth nearly Rs 1,200 crore under the AMRUT scheme in the hill region. The Municipal Engineering Directorate and the Public Health Engineering Department have both been asked to conduct separate inquiries and submit reports.
The Chief Minister further disclosed that the agency involved in executing the projects has been temporarily blacklisted pending investigation.
The issue of rehabilitation of landslide-hit families in the hills also surfaced during the meeting. Referring to last year’s devastating monsoon-triggered landslides in the GTA region, the Chief Minister said nearly 100 houses had been damaged, but despite land being identified during the previous regime, no financial assistance was sanctioned for reconstruction.
He noted that Darjeeling MP Raju Bista had independently constructed ten houses for affected families. The state government has now decided to sanction Rs 3 lakh for each affected household to facilitate construction of permanent homes.
Political analysts believe the latest decisions reflect the new government’s attempt to restructure governance in the Darjeeling hills by shifting administrative authority away from politically-controlled local bodies towards direct bureaucratic supervision.
The developments are also being interpreted as an indication that the hills may once again emerge as one of the most politically sensitive theatres in West Bengal in the coming months.