TURA: The New Tura Development Forum (NTDF) has reacted strongly to the demand for creation of a new district to be carved out of West Garo Hills with Rajpur as its headquarters.
The forum pointed out that the demand by Rajabala MLA Azad Zaman will not only deprive the indigenous people of their needs but the benefit might go to others (non-indigenous people), as the public in the area are not demanding for a new district
On the MLA justifying the demand by saying that the area has three C&RD blocks and around 100 mosques, the forum said that the blocks are not comparable to other blocks of Garo Hills like Bagmara, Rongara and Chokpot, while it questioned the claim about the number of mosques stating that Garo Hills, which existed since the British era, so far, has only 70 churches and 30 temples.
The forum, while strongly objecting to the demand, has urged the government not to submit to the demand.
It may be mentioned that earlier, Zaman had pitched for creation of a new district with Rajpur as headquarter.
He had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in this regard on Tuesday last. In the memorandum, he had stated that the Plain Belt District Demand Committee had submitted a memorandum in 2012 demanding creation of a new district for the plaint belt area of West Garo Hills.
