Opp MDCs stage walkout after EC rejects motions

TURA, July 28: Opposition MDCs in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) staged a walkout on the second day of the ongoing session of the Council on Thursday after none of the motions moved by them were accepted for discussion by the ruling NP-led Executive Committee (EC).
Two motions were placed and moved by the Opposition bench on the second day.
The first motion was moved by Williamnagar MDC Alphonsus R Marak.
Marak had moved the motion for discussion on the matter pertaining to the preparation of separate electoral rolls, barring non-tribals from participating in the GHADC elections, which was rejected by the ruling coalition.
Another motion moved jointly by Dengnakpara MDC Sadhiarani M Sangma and Kharkutta MDC Cherak W Momin was also rejected. The two opposition MDCs had moved the motion for discussion on the matter pertaining to B-Mahal areas in Garo Hills.
Soon after walking out of the session hall, Kharkutta MDC Cherak W Momin, while speaking to media persons, said that the motion for discussion on the matter pertaining to B-mahal areas was made to get clarity, after it was heard that B-Mahal areas in Garo Hills were in the process of being handed over to the Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), under the state government.
Opposition MDC from Dengnakpara Sadhiarani M Sangma, echoing Momin’s views, said that it was learnt that a total of Rs 58 lakh has already been paid to the GHADC.
Sangma added that if the land, which once was being looked after by the GHADC, was handed over to the state government, it would cause problems to the some 200 villages that lie within the B-Mahal areas.
Meanwhile, Williamnagar MDC Alphonsus R Marak said that the motion for discussion on the matter of separate electoral roll has been rejected for three consecutive times.
He lamented that the separate electoral roll was not only the demand of the opposition MDCs, but of the people as well as pressure groups, which has been denied by the NPP-led EC.