SHILLONG, July 6: Soon after Chief Minister Conrad Sangma reasoned that Sohra Civil Sub-division cannot be turned into a district due to its geographical features, the South East Khasi Hills District Demand Forum has termed the chief minister’s stand on the demand for a new district as unacceptable.
“Right from the beginning we had made it very clear that we wanted to upgrade the Civil Sub Division into a district. We had never mentioned that the new Sohra district will also include areas falling under Pynursla Sub Division.We are not going to accept the argument that due to geographical problem we will not get a district,” the spokesperson of the forum, Allan West Kharkongor, said.
He pointed out to an assurance provided by former Assembly Speaker, late Donkupar Roy, during a public meeting at Sohra, wherein the latter had mentioned that a new Sohra district will be inaugurated in December 2019.
According to him, this could not happen due to the untimely demise of Roy.
Kharkongor also recalled that the chief minister during the funeral ofRoy had also mentioned that the creation of the new Sohra district is an unaccomplished mission of the former Assembly Speaker which the NPP-led government will try to fulfill.
“But we were caught by surprise with the rejection of the government to upgrade Sohra into a district. The report has dampened the spirit of the people of the area since the demand to create a new district is a genuine one,” he said.
The forum will meet on Saturday to discuss about its future plan of action to persuade the government on their demand.
“We will be submitting to the state government a detailed map on the areas to fall under the proposed new Sohra district,” Kharkongor added.
Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker and UDP president, Metbah Lyngdoh, said that he will continue to follow up on the demand to upgrade Sohra into a district.
“We will seek clarification from the government on the reasons as to why Sohra could not be upgraded into a district,” the Speaker said while speaking to reporters.
He stated that the chief minister had constituted a committee to create a new district and new Civil Sub Division in the state which is headed by Chief Secretary MS Rao.
The demand for a new Sohra district has come after the chief minister on June 31 announced the upgrade of Mairang Civil Sub-Division into a district.
