Forum makes renewed push for Sohra district

SHILLONG, Oct 26: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said the push for the creation of a new district by the Sohra District Demand Forum (SDDF) needs to be discussed on a broader scale.
“I had shared with the SDDF delegation the complications and challenges in the creation of the Sohra district,” he told reporters after meeting the members of the forum.
He said he asked Chief Secretary Donald P Wahlang to review the matter and take the discussion forward.
The CM said he has been asked to hold discussions with the members of the forum and other stakeholders in the push for the new district.
“It is important to deliberate on several issues,” he said, adding that the chief secretary will share the details of the discussions planned with the SDDF members.
SDDF general secretary John W Thabah told reporters after meeting the CM that the state government assured to look into the demand for the creation of the Sohra district. “We have been assured that the file will proceed to the chief secretary,” he said.
The SDDF members reminded Sangma of their meeting on October 1, 2018, regarding the demand for upgrading the Sohra civil subdivision to a full-fledged district. “In the memorandum, we justified our demand from the socio-economic and developmental aspects,” Thabah said.
The CM regarded their demand as genuine and assured a follow-up, he said.
“The matter has been pending with the state government and we do not have any update,” Thabah said.
He said villages under Sohra and Shella, the two Assembly constituencies in the Sohra subdivision, are in favour of a district. The letters of support from the headmen of these villages, the Hima Sohra and the Sordars were enclosed in the memorandum to the CM, he added.
“Since Meghalaya has attained its 50th year of statehood, it would be in the fitness of things to recognise Sohra as a district with the sole objective of bringing the administration closer to the people,” Thabah said.