From Our Correspondent
RESUBELPARA, Oct 14: Residents from Damas region of North Garo Hills on Friday took out a rally seeking the creation of a new C&RD block within the area.
Led by the Damas Area Development Committee (DADC), the rally was attended by hundreds of locals, who traversed the entire village before gathering at Damas Higher Secondary School field to discuss further action.
The demand for the creation of a new C&RD block was earlier raised in 2012 by a local group going by the name Damas Youth Forum (DYF).
The locals are demanding that a block be created out of Resubelpara and parts of Kharkutta.
“Of all the constituencies in the state, only our constituency, Mendipathar, does not have its own C&RD block. We have been raising this demand since 2012 and pushed it again in 2018. However, despite the calls made by us, we are yet to be given an assurance on C&RD block creation by the present government,” said DYF president, John Navy G Momin.
What had come as an encouragement was the fact that early last year, the C&RD department had intimated the district administration for identification of an area where the new block can be set up. Accordingly, an ADC had reportedly visited the village and land was identified and donated by the Nokma of the area.
However, since then no further action has been taken on the matter.
“The creation of a new block will localise governance and also bring in employment opportunities. The area will also develop and that is why we have come together to rally for this demand,” said one of the residents involved in the rally.
Meanwhile, DADC secretary Julius Sangma said the rally was just the beginning and if the state government continues to turn a blind eye to the demand, they will continue to fight for the same in democratic ways.
“Today we are rallying here, tomorrow it will be in Resubelpara (North Garo Hills district headquarter) and if that does not suffice, we will go to Shillong to push forward our demand. Our demand began in 2012 and we will continue till it is met,” said Julius.