Agreed text of Settlement should be made public: James Sangma
SHILLONG: The National People’s Party (NPP) has lamented that the Agreed Text of Settlement between the Government of India, Government of Meghalaya and the ANVC factions holds nothing of significance for Garo Hills in general and ANVC in particular.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, NPP Meghalaya spokesperson James Sangma also questioned the Government for not putting the Agreed Text of Settlement in the public domain.
He said that in the agreement there is a reference made to increase in the strength of the GHADC, which is agreed in principle, but the document fails to mention how many seats will be added and when such exercise will be completed.
“It is unfortunate that the Agreed Text of Settlement makes a mention of only 13 subjects, that too, minor, to be decided by the State Government which is to be transferred to the GHADC whereas when the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Accord was signed in 2003, a total of 40 subjects were transferred to the BTC,” he said.
He said that the so-called ‘minor subjects’ mentioned in the document already stand transferred as per Para 6 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, rendering this para irrelevant.
The NPP also expressed its surprise that the Agreed Text of Settlement does not mention how the ANVC and ANVC-B cadres would be rehabilitated.
“We would like to know how the cadre will be provided with means of livelihood and sustenance,” Sangma said, while adding that the BTC Accord has clearly defined how the cadres would be given rehabilitation package by the Government.
It also clearly spells out how Bodo youths would be considered for recruitment in Police, Army and Paramilitary forces etc., Sangma said.
Stating that the Agreed Text of Settlement has forgotten the very people who make up the organization, the NPP spokesperson said that in the absence of any specific agreement to bring about any substantial and Constitutional change in the setup of the GHADC and also in the absence of any provision in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to further extend its term beyond one year, the NPP has decided to gear up its organization for the ensuing District Council elections in Garo Hills in the month of February 2015.
Accordingly, an emergent meeting held at the residence of NPP chief P.A. Sangma at Tura, has decided to set up an Election Committee for the District Council polls comprising of eight members, the spokesperson added.