SHILLONG: Tura Lok Sabha member and NPP president Purno A. Sangma has accused the State Government of cheating ANVC and ANVC-B by signing a faulty agreement.
Speaking to reporters, Sangma said that there was nothing new to offer for Garo Hills in the text for settlement arrived at between both the factions of ANVC & ANVC-B and the Government.
“ANVC and ANVC-B were cheated and misled by the State Government and now they have nowhere to go,” Sangma said.
“There is serious doubt whether anything will be achieved by the memorandum of settlement as there is nothing to offer compared to other texts of settlement with various North East militant groups,” he said.
According to Sangma, the Centre has washed its hands off the settlement as it has entrusted the matter to the State Government.
He said in case of agreements with other North East militant groups there was provision for absorbing the cadres in central forces. “But in the case of ANVC and ANVC-B there is no such provision for rehabilitation of the cadres,” Sangma said, while wondering about the future of the cadres in the absence of this provision.
He also pointed out that the agreement is silent on how many seats will be increased in the revamped Garo Hills Autonomous District Council. Moreover, the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution will have to be amended to effect the strengthening of the GHADC, he noted.
The Tura MP also pointed out that while 40 subjects were granted under the agreement with the Bodo rebels, only 13 subjects were allotted under the agreement with ANVC and ANVC-B.
“Moreover, the transfer of subjects is nothing new as there is already a provision in this regard in Para 5 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” he pointed out.
