Hamro Party president Ajoy Edwards claimed that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has dues to the tune of Rs 370 crore to clear, mostly to contractors, and that if his party is voted to power it would clear the bills only after a social audit of jobs done.

“The GTA has around Rs 370 crore in dues to clear. If we are voted to power we will clear the dues only after a social audit. We will go to the people, ask them about the quality of work and only if we are satisfied with the quality of work, will funds be cleared,” said Edwards who reached Kalimpong on Monday to campaign for the June 26 GTA polls.

Hamro Party has talked about administrative audits of GTA in its election manifesto but this is the first time it spoke about a social audit involving local residents.

The party, which won the Darjeeling civic elections, is going hammer and tongs after the alleged politician-contractor nexus and has vowed to uproot it from the hills.

“Many senior leaders in the hills are surrounded by a group of four-to-five major contractors. They get to do almost 60 per cent of all work, while the rest of the contractors get very little work. We are against these ‘privileged group’ and want to break this nexus,” said Edwards.

A senior official of the GTA did admit to some pending bills but added it was “routine”.“Works are done, payments will be made as and when funds come. All (GTA) works are approved and all financial formalities and rules have been adhered to,” said a GTA official, who, however, refused to confirm the sum quoted by Edwards “unless all works are assessed”. The official added that bills to the tune of Rs 100 crore had been cleared by the GTA last year.

Edwards’s jibe at the politician-contractor nexus, however, revolves around the narrative that politicians at the helm of the GTA had facilitated work for certain contractors to get help in their political activities in past elections, from Lok Sabha to Assembly to civic polls.

“Since those politicians did not return to power, some contractors are desperate to get the money. If we are voted to power, we will clear their bills without fuss if they have done their work properly. Otherwise we won’t clear their bills,” said Edwards.

Only one GTA poll has been held so far in 2012. The state government appointed an administrator to the GTA after the Bengal Assembly election last year.