From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: The Centre has reached an agreement with the Garo Hills-based Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) under which the autonomy of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) would be enhanced.
Informing this during a press conference here on Thursday, Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde said the agreement would be placed before the Cabinet for approval.
“We expect that the signing of the agreement with the ANVC will improve the situation in the area (Garo Hills),” he said without elaborating much.
The Home Minister also said the government was aware of the demands for creation of separate states in Cooch Behar (North Bengal), Bodoland, Gorkhaland and Karbi Anglong.
“It is not that the government is neglecting them. We are ready to listen to them. Wherever workable, the government will take a decision. We have done that in the past in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and in Chhattisgarh,” he said.
Referring to violence in some parts of the Northeast and in Darjeeling, Shinde said the situation in the concerned areas was not going out of hand and hoped that the concerned organisations would not resort to undemocratic means.
“Situation in the Northeast is calm,” he added.