TURA, July 23: Ahead of their meeting with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday, the A’chik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK) on Sunday said the meeting should be at the Mini Secretariat and not the Tura Circuit House as the former is a more inclusive and conducive setting for negotiations, fostering transparency and citizen involvement in the decision-making process.
In a letter addressed to the CM, the ACHIK emphasized the importance of engaging in constructive dialogue in a space that is accessible. They contended that the Mini Secretariat, as a government office located centrally within the town, serves as a more appropriate venue for discussions that directly impact the lives of the people.
“We believe that decisions concerning the Winter Capital and Backlog policy should be made with the active involvement of the people who will be directly affected by these policies. This is our genuine demand to fulfill the agreement made by the founding fathers. We have been fasting for 13 days and we will continue unless we receive positive statement. We should be the one who should be speaking with honourable CM not other representatives who are not part of the hunger strike. The Mini Secretariat provides a neutral and public space for us to express our concerns and suggestions openly,” it said.
The Winter Capital policy, in particular, has been a longstanding issue, with communities experiencing disparities in resource allocation during the winter season, ACHIK said while adding that the appeal to the CM highlights the need for a comprehensive and region-specific approach to ensure that all citizens receive adequate resources and support during this challenging period.
“Moreover, the pending Backlog policy has been a cause of frustration for the residents, as numerous departmental jobs had been lost due to the failure of the state job reservation policy. ACHIK’s proposal to hold negotiations at the Mini Secretariat aims to expedite discussions and foster a sense of urgency in addressing these crucial concerns,” it added.
Meanwhile, Tura MDC and BJP leader, Bernard N. Marak has asked the CM to declare Tura as the Winter Capital of Meghalaya during his proposed meeting with ACHIK on Monday as a mark of returning favour to the people of Garo Hills who elected 16 NPP MLAs, including him.
“People voted for him because he is a Garo chief minister and also because he represents a Garo party – NPP. NPP was formed to stand as a Garo party in the national political scenario and to work for the welfare of the Garo people. It is time to prove that the NPP stands for the Garos,” he said.
With regard to the job reservation policy, Bernard said the CM should fulfil his promise of providing five lakh jobs for the youths of Meghalaya which he made during his campaign for the elections.
Commenting on the CM’s decision to finally meet the protestors after so many days since the hunger strike began, Bernard said that it was ‘better late than never’ and thanked him for it.
