From Our Correspondent
TURA: While the State Government was compelled to call for elections to four municipal boards in Garo Hills following a directive from the Gauhati High Court, the postponement was made after a review meeting which indicated a serious breakdown in law and order and a serious impact on the ongoing operations against GNLA militants in the jungles of Garo Hills.
There was apprehension that the existing police force of the State could be over stretched if operations and maintenance of public order were to be simultaneously undertaken wherein the government could be at the receiving end.
Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh informed the media at Tura that police deployment for anti-militancy operations and the simultaneous deployment for polling duty would not suffice with the present strength.
“Additional force is required for conduct of the polls and if we went ahead with the exercise then we would be compelled to halt the counter insurgency operations which will not be in the interest of the State,” Lyngdoh said.
He revealed that five additional companies of the BSF are due to arrive soon in the Garo Hills which will be deployed exclusively for flush out operations of militants. Already two platoons of special CoBRA units of the CRPF are engaged in the counter insurgency operations in East and South Garo Hills.
The arrival of extra troops will soon boost the state police in their fight against militancy which is threatening to escalate with the movement of ULFA and NDFB militants together with the GNLA in the remote jungles of Garo Hills.
Our Reporter in Shillong adds: The State Government needs more security forces to hold the civic polls to the four municipal boards in Garo Hills — Tura, Williamnagar, Baghmara and Resubelpara — Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh told reporters in Shillong on Thursday.
Lyngdoh said the civic polls had to be rescheduled since security forces were inadequate to tackle the possible law and order problem in the wake of strong opposition to the civic polls in Garo Hills.
“As of now we need more security forces since most of our forces have been deployed for anti-militancy operation,” Lyngdoh said.
At present, two companies of the CRPF and two units of Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) commandos have been deployed in the insurgency-prone areas of Garo Hills for combing operations against the GNLA.
Meanwhile, the Government has filed an affidavit to the High Court seeking more time to hold the civic polls.