TURA: Meghalaya Speaker, Dr Donkupar Roy’s promise in a recent public meeting to upgrade Sohra into a district in the near future has ignited a spark in Garo Hills as well with a former student leader requesting that the same assurance that had been given for Dadenggre Civil Sub-Division, is not forgotten.
Former President of the GSU from Dadenggre, Rupa Mrong Marak made the request after the Speaker had conveyed Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma’s message assuring that Sohra would be up-graded into a district in the near future, during a public meeting held to discuss the issue.
“If the Chief Minister has given assurance for the upgradation of Sohra to a district in the near future, I would like to ask him to clarify his stand on the upgradation of Dadenggre Civil-sub-division to a District. Dadenggre Civil-sub-division is the oldest civil sub-division in Garo Hills at present, and demand for its up-gradation into a full-fledged district with the inclusion of newly-created Raksamgre Civil Sub-Division, is a long standing one,” Marak said.
Marak said that the assurance for upgradation of Dadenggre Civil Sub-Division into a full-fledged district was given by the Speaker during the inauguration of the Dadenggre Puri Government Higher Secondary School in 2006, while he was the then Deputy Chief Minister of the state. According to Marak, Edmund K Sangma, the then local MLA of Dadenggre, local MDC Purno K Sangma including the then Tura MLA, Billykid Sangma were some of those who were present when the assurance was made at the Dadenggre Circuit House.
“Our demand was acknowledged as genuine and the assurance that the issue would be discussed in the government was given by Dr Roy in front of all my colleagues. But today, I’m disappointed to see his statements for the upgradation of Sohra only. He might have forgotten about his assurance for Dadenggre in these 12 long years, but we the people of Dadenggre Civil-sub-division still remember it,” Marak said.
Marak added that if the Chief Minister was committed to upgrade Sohra, which is in Khasi Hills into a district, he should also make another commitment for Garo Hills by doing the same for Dadenggre. “Equal attention should be given for both Garo and Khasi Hills. This is what we need,” he said.
Besides, Marak also put forward a demand for creation of the Jengjal Civil Sub-Division in view of immense hardships faced by the people while coming to Dadenggre for official works and other purposes. According to Marak, the move would ease the sufferings of the people and also bring them closer to the administration.