GTA placed under administrator, CM warns of action against corruption in Hills body
Times of India | 9 September 2026The appointment, notified through an extraordinary edition of Kolkata Gazette on Monday, brings administrative functioning of the Hills body under state control amid a prolonged leadership vacuum. “In the interest of public service,” the governor appointed Mohanty as administrator to manage all official activities of GTA until further orders, it stated.
Speaking to reporters, Adhikari said he would consult all stakeholders and take action accordingly. The CM warned that those involved in alleged corruption in GTA would be held accountable. “Corruption in teacher’s appointment, water or whatever ghotala (scam) has happened in the past, no one will be spared. Everyone will be held accountable and arrested,” he said.
The home and hill affairs department said the post of GTA chief executive had remained vacant for over two months following Anit Thapa’s resignation, leaving day-to-day operations of the body “hampered immensely”.
Thapa, chief of Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), resigned as GTA chief executive and member on June 17. His resignation was accepted with effect from June 24. GTA sabha chairman Anjul Chowhan and deputy chairman Rajesh Chowhan had also stepped down from their posts.
Adhikari’s visit follows a strong electoral showing by BJP in the Hills, where BGPM lost all three seats to BJP. Thapa had tendered his resignation from GTA shortly after Adhikari visited Darjeeling following formation of the new govt, triggering a fresh phase of political realignment in the region.
GTA, like its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, may soon be replaced. Following high-level tripartite discussions involving Union home minister Amit Shah, the Gorkha leadership and state representatives, central govt constituted a dedicated committee headed by interlocutor Pankaj Kumar Singh to draft a formal agreement for a “permanent political solution” in Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars regions.
Designed to address long-standing Gorkha identity and administrative aspirations beyond existing setups like GTA, the initiative aims to establish enhanced administrative autonomy and targeted central funding to drive long-term economic development and stability in the region.
Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista welcomed Mohanty’s appointment, saying it would ensure administrative continuity while linking the development to the demand for a permanent political solution (PPS). “This makes it clear that the final phase of GTA has begun,” he said.
Bista noted that the presence of a senior IAS officer would help maintain impartial governance and prevent development initiatives from being politicised. “This is not an alternative to the political aspirations of people of the Hills. It is only a transitional arrangement until PPS is achieved,” he added.
(Inputs from Nisha Chettri in Kalimpong)
