Cash-strapped M’laya govt beset with fiscal obligations

SHILLONG: The State government will have to incur additional financial burden in providing surrender packages to the several hundreds of militants, especially from the GNLA, who have come over ground in recent times, even as the settlement with ANVC and ANVC-B cadres has been pending.
As per the surrender package of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, a cadre will avail Rs.1.5 lakh as one time financial package and Rs.3,500 monthly stipend after proper rehabilitation.
Though the government, police, NGOs and church leaders have enthusiastically paved way for the surrenders of many GNLA cadres, their future settlement is under a cloud considering the huge financial burden.
Moreover, the disbursement of surrender package to ANVC and ANVC-B cadres has been pending for long coupled with the delay in settling the official surrender of UALA militants.
As per the statistics of police, as many as 119 militants, mostly GNLA, have surrendered before the police this year alone.
The rehabilitation of these cadres by providing financial assistance is a huge task for the State government considering the financial crunch.
However, Chief Secretary K.S. Kropha is optimistic that the surrendered cadres will be rehabilitated with proper packages.
Kropha had asserted last week that the recently surrendered GNLA cadres would be   provided with the one-time financial package of Rs.1.5 lakh besides the monthly stipend as per the scheme of MHA.
Another concern is the safety of the surrendered cadres as there were instances of GNLA top functionaries targeting the surrendered cadres in the past.
The chief secretary said that for time being, the cadres will stay in transit camps under police security.
Asked about the pending financial package to ANVC and ANVC-B militants, he said the matter is pending with the police headquarters.
Regarding UALA, the chief secretary said a couple of rounds of talks were held with the group and the verification process of some cadres was also held.
Though the back to back surrenders of GNLA militants were in the run up to the Tura by-election, both the chief secretary and Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Kharkongor dismissed the question on whether the surrender had anything to do with ‘appeasement of voters’.
Kharkongor said the surrender of militants will only help to hold a peaceful poll as it is heralding better law and order situation.