SHILLONG, March 16: The state BJP’s manifesto for the ensuing Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) polls released here on Tuesday has drawn special focus on the Council.
The 17-point manifesto of the saffron party emphasises upon empowering the GHADC by transforming it into a territorial council.
The manifesto was released by state BJP president, Ernest Mawrie, in the presence of party vice presidents — Dipayan Chakraborty and David Kharsati — and state BJP general secretary, Sing Mulieh, besides state Mahila unit president, Judy Surong.
Talking to reporters after releasing the manifesto, Mawrie informed that the party intends to transform the GHADC into a territorial council by giving it more power, creating more departments and channelising direct funding from the Centre by speeding up the proposed amendment to the Sixth Schedule.
While asserting that the BJP, if brought to power, will frame separate rules for the GHADC, the party president said that the saffron party will abolish the non-schedule areas and empower traditional bodies to take up local administration so as to safeguard the interest of the people in scheduled areas of Meghalaya.
“Local heads will be made to look after resources and minerals available within its jurisdiction. We will empower the people through self-governance by electing local bodies at the grassroots level under the village councils for mass participation in terms of development and employment of the local populace,” BJP state president said, while highlighting some of the important points mentioned in the party manifesto.
Mawrie further stated that the party will introduce separate electoral rolls for the GHADC as at present the Council is adopting the electoral rolls of the Assembly constituencies.
The party will encourage women to take up more responsibility in the development process as well as local governance within village-level institutions, he added.
“We will introduce local administrative system under the GHADC to administer urban areas through duly elected bodies,” the party president said.
According to him, the BJP will take up registration and death besides tribal certificates of Schedule Tribes in the GHADC, adding that they will also introduce online revenue collection system to enhance the working mechanism inside the GHADC.
“We will review the Garo Customary Law as per the needs of the people. Mahari and women groups will also be taken into forum since Garo is a matrilineal community,” he said.
Mawrie informed that the party will improve the education and health infrastructure through local heads in Garo Hills region.
He further added that people will be encouraged to study local languages as well as Sixth Schedule-related topics, which will even be included in the academic syllabus, he said.
“We will introduce community schools, community colleges and community healthcare centres in Garo Hills through which jobs will be created for the youths,” Mawrie said.
He also informed that the party plans to introduce firms, factories and industries according to availability of raw materials, also to generate employment in the region.
“We will cut down on collection of taxes by the state government in schedule areas and minimise shares given out by the government which has hampered the Council financially,” he stated.
The party president also informed that the BJP will do in-depth study on lands claimed by the government and return that which is not required under the law.
