Govt postpones municipal polls
From Our Correspondent
TURA: After days of uncertainty and fear of a major law and order breakdown in the three districts of Garo Hills following opposition to the proposed civic polls, the State Government has halted the entire election process calling for a “reschedule” of the polls while a visibly elated Joint Action Committee of Garo NGOs has withdrawn their week-long stir that was supposed to begin from Friday morning.
“We had a review meeting with all the SPs and DCs of the areas where the municipal polls are scheduled to be held and after threadbare deliberation we have been advised to announce the rescheduling of the
elections to the four municipal boards,” informed Urban Affairs minister Ampareen Lyngdoh to press persons at a hastily arranged press briefing at Tura circuit house on Wednesday evening.
The Urban Affairs Minister said the government was compelled to hold the municipal polls in Garo Hills after a group of candidates filed an appeal with the high court over the State government’s failure to hold the elections. She added that the court’s verdict had to be accepted and for which the government began the process for the polls.
“We feel the decision we are taking is a positive one.
Under no circumstances can we hold elections when the atmosphere is not conducive for such an exercise. The Government will take a fresh look into this matter,” informed Ms Lyngdoh during the press brief.
The State Cabinet is expected to discuss the election ‘reschedule’ issue once the Chief Minister returns from the United states, a week from now.
The Urban Minister was accompanied by Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh, and C&RD Minister Saleng A Sangma on her visit to Tura on Wednesday afternoon.
Prior to the decision to halt the scheduled elections, the ministerial delegation held a series of meetings with the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police from the three districts of Garo Hills to ascertain the ground situation.
It was only after the delegation was briefed on the impending problems in the run up to the polls that the government felt it necessary to ‘reschedule’ the elections to the four municipalities.
This is the second time in less then a year that the municipal polls were called off following widespread public resentment.
Ampareen appealed to the NGOs to review their stance to the polls and the JAC was quick to reciprocate by withdrawing the bandh call shortly after a meeting with the ministerial delegation.
The government will now have to approach the high court with its decision not to contest the polls and one of the main points that will be put across to the court would be the report from the respective district administrations from Garo Hills on the strong likelihood of law and order problem arising out of the situation.
The ongoing anti-insurgency operations against GNLA militants was also another factor in the decision to halt the polls. Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh chipped in to say that security forces were already preoccupied with the combing operations and any further breakdown in law and order due to the NGOs proposed agitation would have diverted the attention from the anti-insurgency drive.
Ampareen also reiterated that no part of the State is isolated or sidelined. She said that ethnic lines should not be drawn and development would be equal.
“We are all Meghalayans,” said Ampareen.