TURA, August 10: Seeking the centre’s help to fund a series of infrastructure setups in the Garo Hills region, Chief Executive Member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), Benedic R Marak, has met with three union ministers dealing with issues of the north east during his Monday trip to New Delhi.
The GHADC is facing a precarious situation due to years of financial crisis attributed to bad leadership and widespread corruption charges. It has not been able to even pay its employees for well over two and a half years.
Despite this situation, the CEM has sought funding for new infrastructure that includes a brand new council administrative building complete with staff quarters that is expected to be a multi-crore venture.
Holding three separate meetings with the union ministers, the CEM was accompanied by BJP MDC and Executive Member in charge of Agriculture portfolio, Promod Koch, and his “chief adviser” Akki Sangma, whose appointment has been questioned by the opposition Congress MDCs given that Sangma is neither an elected member nor someone who has previously served in any advisory group or decision making body.
Calling on the Union Law and Justice Minister and North East’ very own Kiren Rijiju at his office chamber, the CEM raised the issue of funding for the construction of the main district council court and several village courts where hearings and judgements for cases can take place.
In a separate meeting with the Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, who also happens to be the DONER minister, the CEM highlighted the funding required for construction of a new council administrative building along with staff quarters given that the existing administrative building is close to a century old.
Other demands placed before the centre include starting of solid waste management systems in the dozens of weekly markets that do business every week across Garo Hills, to reopen the transport department of the council which decades ago was the only transport system in Garo Hills but gradually faded into the horizon due to alleged mismanagement and lack of foresight, starting of an import and export centre with Bangladesh along the border, rain water harvesting, improving and expanding tourism in Garo Hills, especially Eco tourism and creation of adventure clubs.
In a third meeting held with Rameswar Teli, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Petroleum and Natural Gas, CEM Benedic Marak mentioned the problem of consumers from Garo Hills facing difficulties in procurement of gas connections and refills cylinders.
The CEM also asked the minister to consider setting up a high end ESR hospital in Garo Hills to boost the health scenario in the rural areas of the region.