By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State government will announce a compensation package to rehabilitate the surrendered GNLA cadres soon.
“The compensation package is under examination of the Political department,” Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh said here on Monday.
“I will inquire from the Political department on the status of the compensation package,” Lyngdoh said, adding that the Home department had submitted the proposal to the Government a few months back. Resentment is brewing among the surrendered GNLA cadres as the Government is yet to fulfill its assurance to rehabilitate them. It may be recalled that the political masters had time and again appealed to the GNLA cadres to surrender and join the “mainstream”, the government has so far not been able to rehabilitate those who have given up arms. Over 30 cadres of the GNLA have so far laid down arms in the hope of receiving a better life far away from the dense jungles of Garo Hills.
Meanwhile, NCP legislator from Rongrenggre constituency Marcuise N Marak, who was scheduled to meet Home Minister on Monday in this connection, said, “A number of surrendered cadres have met me to register their grievances as the government is yet to come out with a comprehensive compensation package for them.” He said senior government officials have told him that till date the government did not have any compensation package to offer to those who laid down arms. Marak could not meet the Home Minister as the latter had gone to Mawryngkneng on Monday. On April 27 this year, 20 GNLA cadres surrendered before the Home Minister here along with arms and ammunition. The group was led by their ‘chief training instructor’ Mingran T. Sangma alias Lodrin T. Sangma. The GNLA cadres had also deposited one M-16, one AK 56, one 7.62 SLR rifles, three pistols, one grenade, ammunition and some incriminating pertaining to the outfit’s aims and objectives.