ANVC to be completely disbanded by Nov: CM

SHILLONG: The State Government on Friday directed completion of the process of disbanding of ANVC and its splinter group ANVC-B within November.

The decision was taken at a meeting held here on Friday.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said that there has been an indication from the Union Government to maintain the timeline and added that he has asked the concerned department to accelerate in order to complete the entire process within November.

He further informed that a joint verification by the government authorities will be taken up in order to ensure that the entire process is completed within the stipulated time frame.

The agreed text of settlement was signed between the Centre, State Government and the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) and its splinter group ANVC (B) in New Delhi on September 24. Rules stipulate that the process of disbanding organizations must be completed within three months of signing of the agreement.

Earlier in the meeting, the ANVC-B placed a demand before the Chief Minister to provide them with a camp at Edenbari in Tura to facilitate the disbanding process since most of their cadres were scattered.

Sangma assured that the concerned department has been asked to look into the matter.

“As soon as we get the camp at Edenbari, we will disband our organization within ten days,” ANVC-B general secretary Wanding Marak told reporters after the meeting. He informed that the ANVC-B has around 300 cadres but the same needed to be physically verified.

Marak also informed that that ANVC-B will float a social organization for those cadres who did not want to return to their homes.

The ANVC general secretary also stated that the formal handing over of arms will take place in the last week of November.

“We will meet the Deputy Commissioner of the district to discuss the date for handing over of arms,” he said, adding that once this process is completed the issue of election in the GHADC will be taken up.

To a query on whether the text settlement would foster peace in Garo Hills, the ANVC-B general secretary, while expressing hope that the wind of change would blow across Garo Hills, said that everybody should work to try to bring peace in the troubled region.