From Our Correspondent
TURA: Breaking his silence over ongoing controversy dogging his position as chief executive member (CEM), the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) chief Purno K Sangma has appealed to public not get swayed by the dictate of the breakaway faction of ANVC.
The ANVC-B has brought a series of corruption charges against him and his Deputy Brigady N Marak and has demanded their resignations.
In an exclusive interview with The Shillong Times at his office chamber on Monday, Sangma dismissed the allegations of corruption leveled against him by the breakaway faction of the ANVC and said the true picture would emerge once the ongoing judicial probe report is made public.
Saddened by the road blockade called by the ANVC-B in Garo Hills to exert pressure on him to resign, the CEM urged people not to respond to the proposed agitation.
In the light of the road blockade called by the ANVC-B on Wednesday, “people should show solidarity for democracy,” said the CEM with an indirect appeal to the public not to be cowed down by militant threats aimed at disturbing the normal life of the people of Garo Hills.
Already there is a lot of resentment over ANVC-B’s blockade call with many questioning the decision to enforce a closure given that the people from Garo Hills had only just gone through a day-long closure last week, solely for the resignation of the CEM.
The CEM has not ruled out vested interest groups of being behind the move to oust him from power.
“It can be possible that certain bidders who failed to win the tender for toll gates and market monopolies may have approached anti-social elements and groups to exert pressure on the council,” he said.
The council chief also informed that a judicial probe into alleged anomalies in the GHADC since 2010 headed by Justice (retired) P G Agarwal is going on.
“I would appeal to those opposing me and my Executive Committee to please wait for the completion of the judicial probe because it would be unfair on the part of the ANVC-B to level charges before the true picture comes out,” Sangma said.
Earlier, taking note of the prevailing scam in the GHADC, the ANVC (B) has demanded that the present Executive Committee (EC) in the Council should be immediately dissolved and the CEM and his deputy should resign from their respective posts.
“We have decided to hold a road blockade on August 29 in the whole of Garo Hills if there is no response to our demands,” the ANVC (B) said in a statement issued on Sunday.
The militant group had earlier stated that the CEM was busy in “gates/monopolies and campaigning.”
The breakaway faction of the ANVC had also alleged that Sangma had taken huge sum as a bribe from various bidders for council gates and monopolies.
“According to the Council norms you were suppose to approve the highest bidders so that the fund flows to the treasury, but you filled your own account and settled for fewer amount, depriving the council. This is stealing,” the outfit stated.
The ANVC (B) also alleged that the decision of the concerned executive members were over ruled and went on to settle for those having political affiliations.