By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The UDP has urged the State Government to create a special battalion to protect the lives and property of people living in the border villages.
“In view of Sabuda incident, the creation of a special battalion has become necessary,” UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh said in a letter to Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma here on Friday.
He said the State’s 5th Battalion has been placed at the disposal of Delhi Government for over three years when the State is not in a position to even ensure security to its own people residing in the border belt.
“It is imperative that the battalion be recalled home. Therefore, we urge upon your good office to kindly address this problem at the earliest, as news reports of the resurfacing of militant outfits in these areas is a matter of grave concern. Hence, the residents of these areas will not only be intimidated but the potential loss of property and life is very alive and serious,” UDP working president said.
Stating that the Government should upgrade Mawlasnai police outpost to a full fledged police station, he demanded creation of three more police outposts at Umwang, Umtlih and Sabuda.
Lyngdoh also informed that a delegation of his party visited Sabuda and had held a meeting with the affected people.
UDP reiterates stand
on EVMs
Meawhile, the party has taken exception to the stand taken by the District Council Affairs Minister HDR Lyngdoh with regards to the procurement and use of EVMs in the forthcoming district council elections.
“The move only confirms the suspicion that the party has had over the conduct of the last Assembly elections”, the UDP leader AF Dkhar said in a statement on Friday. He reminded that a party petition raising doubts on the use of EVMs had also been sent to the Election Commission of India.
The matter had already been taken up by KHADC in it’s session and opposition towards the same was widely reported, Dkhar said, adding that most recently, the Parliamentary Standing Committee which had a sitting in Shillong to take inputs from all the political parties in North East on electoral reforms, had reported to the media, the unanimous opinion to ban the use of EVMs as spelt out by the committee’s Chairman, Shantaram Naik MP.
“We feel that there is enough reason for the District Council Affairs Minister, to gauge public opinion on the matter before embarking on the final decision”, the UDP leader said.
According to UDP, it is in the greater interest of the age old democracy that the verifiability and sovereignty of the vote be considered as resolved in the All India Political Party Meeting conducted by the Election Commission of India at New Delhi in October 2010. The UDP, which also took part in the meeting, said that the decision needs a revisit.