Anit Thapa, the chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), called on Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Calcutta on Wednesday and sought to strengthen the hill body at a time when Opposition parties are calling to scrap the GTA and raising the pitch for Gorkhaland state.

“I raised 31 issues that include strengthening the GTA, issues regarding budget, education, health among others. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and the chief minister gave a patient hearing to the issues raised by me,” said Thapa.

Thapa’s weeklong visit to Calcutta is being keenly followed in the Darjeeling hills as it comes at a time when Opposition leaders like Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung, Hamro Party chief Ajoy Edwards and hill leader Binay Tamang, who was last with Trinamul, have come together against the GTA and taking forward the statehood demand, which had laid low for almost five years.

Thapa, president of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), said in Calcutta that Gorkhand was a subject to be dealt with by the Centre.

“Gorkhaland is a subject of the Centre. The GTA has been formed under the state act and my agenda is to push for development in the hills,” said Thapa, adding that the new Opposition coalition in the hills cannot stick together for long.

Observers maintain that Thapa was looking to counter the hill Opposition through his development narrative.

“For this, he needs a strong GTA with sufficient funds and he feels his demand will be seriously looked into by the state at this moment,” said a party insider.

Apart from transfer of departments and power to the hill body, Thapa requested for funds not just for the current financial year but also the backlog starting from 2014- 15.

“The demands placed by Thapa can broadly be divided into four categories. Apart from seeking more powers and funds, he stressed on the need for proper administrative systems and looked to address issues connected with the sentiments of the hills,” said an observer.

Seeking proper administrative systems to be put in place, Thapa requested setting up a subordinate selection board, formation of separate school service commissions, approval of recruitment rules for the appointment of primary teachers, among others.

The GTA chief also raised issues attached to the sentiments of the hill people.

“The GTA chief demanded a separate merit list of candidates from the GTA in the two nursing schools in the hills, permission to run homestays in tea gardens and land rights for the tea and cinchona plantation workers,” said a source.

Late in the evening, Binay Tamang, who has been vocal about Gorkhaland of late, said that security personnel deployed by the state government at his home were withdrawn.