SHILLONG: The members of the disbanded ANVC-B has threatened to call indefinite non cooperation in Garo areas from October 1 if the government does not agree to their demand of village and municipal councils for Garos.
Former ANVC-B leader, Bernard Marak while asking all Garo MLAs and MDCs to demand for village and municipal councils for the Garos said that State representatives did not came for debate on Tuesday as they celebrated Garo Hills Day and had invited the government representatives for an open debate on changes which have been proposed by the state but none turned up.
“ There will be indefinite non cooperation from 1st October if Garo leaders betray the “Garo Settlement” and if they attempt to change the content of the Agreement,” he said.
“ Our apprehension is, the state wants to reserve the decision making power regarding the village and municipal councils because state does not want to empower the local self governance through the Councils to be strengthened.
He said that the State wanted to introduce the Village Administrative Bill (V.A.B.) and divert all funds to the State’s V.A.B. and all their efforts to bring change at the grassroot level and the Council in general gets defeated.
According to Marak, Garo Hills needs Village and Municipal Councils as Village Councils existed in the GHADC since 1971.
“If the government ignores our demands, we will have no choice but to call indefinite non cooperation in Garo areas,” he said while adding that the State Government have always been biased against them