Tura BJP wants electoral rolls re-assessed to monitor ‘influx’

TURA, Sep 8: In view of the rampant illegal influx by outsiders into Garo Hills, the BJP in Tura has urged the NPP-led MDA government to re-assess the electoral roll with the year 1952 as cut off year for the GHADC and 1972 for the state Legislative Assembly.
“It was once initiated by Late WA Sangma where the names of the bonafide Hindus from Tura, Dalu and Rongram were deleted. The same procedure would be put forward to (be considered by) the NPP-led Government and Executive Committee in GHADC,” he said.
Marak alleged that the Sixth Schedule provisions were compromised as the GHADC under the NPP failed to check the growth of influx which, according to him, is alarming as one proceeds through the plains of Garo Hills.
He sought that proper mechanism be put in place before the Dhubri-Pulbari bridge, which is under construction, opens. According to him, the government was not revealing the actual growth of the non-tribal population in the plain areas as the truth is alarmingly threatening.
“In Garo Hills, pattas are issued by the non-tribal mondols and kananggos and GHADC signs it for a meager amount whereas even in Tura, tribals are not issued patra. These facilities of land and schemes are given to these individuals without verification as these infiltrators become the vote banks of the ruling government,” he alleged.
“The local traders and bona-fide non-tribal citizens are also affected and as far as the tribals are concerned, they are leaving their ancestral lands in fear and other factors. Thus, the Sixth Schedule has been compromised and every effort to safeguard the interest of the Hill people through the Hill provisions has been overlapped by the Non Hill provisions thus paving a way in for the outsiders,” he added.
Pointing out that these issues if unchecked would lead to Garo Hills being overpopulated by Bangladeshis, Bernard said that his party, the BJP, would ask the government to re-verify the electoral rolls with the cut-off years.