SHILLONG: Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has ruled out division of Meghalaya saying “We must try to live together and by living together we become stronger.”
Replying to a motion moved by GNC MLA Clifford Marak on creation of separate Garoland on the last day of the Autumn session of the State Assembly on Thursday, Dr Sangma said the State is about to have an enabling environment where the issue of poverty can be confronted but this would be undone if the State is further divided.
Terming the demand for a separate Garoland as farfetched, the Chief Minister said “We must try to live together to free people from hardships.”
“Further division of the state would place even more constraints on our resources. The developmental process will further suffer. For the viability of a state, a certain mass in terms of area and population becomes necessary,” Dr Sangma said.
According to him, the issue of separate State has been exploited by many militant groups across the State even though their ulterior motives were different.
He maintained that the Government has achieved considerable success in developing the State and to ensure peace, justice and equality for all sections of people.
He pointed out that the State had two administrative districts in 1971 but today the State has eleven districts, four civil sub-divisions, two administrative units and thirty-nine community development blocks and it has improved the outreach of the Government agencies.
Dr Sangma admitted that there are problems of connectivity even though efforts have been made to improve the same.
Giving details, he informed that the total road length in the state in 1972 was 2786 kilometers with a road density of 12.42 kilometers per100 sq.kms but currently the total road length is 9548 kms with a density of 42.57 kms in 100 sq. kms.
“We will continue to invest more on improving the road network to connect all districts, civil sub-divisions and block headquarters of the State with finer roads.
He said that the Government is addressing the problem of communication between the State capital and Garo Hills by the Shilllong-Nongstoin-Rongjeng-Tura highway whose double-laning work is underway.
“This should go a long way in strengthening the social and emotional bonds between the people of two regions,” he asserted.
Commenting on Garo Hills, the Chief Minister said that the region has witnessed significant improvement in its socio-economic profile since the emergence of Meghalaya and it sends 24 members to the State Legislative Assembly and it has its own autonomous district council and that the Government plans to further strengthen the council by vesting more functions and powers in it.
While asserting that the first railway line of Meghalaya is coming up in Garo Hills, the State Government is pursuing with the Union Government for another railway line from Jogighopa to Silchar skirting Indo-Bangladesh border.
The connectivity in Garo Hills is expected to improve significantly since the Government has approved another national highway connecting Dhubri-Phulbari-Tura-Nongstoin including construction of a bridge over Bramhaputra.