Tura MDC counters CM’s claims of no central fund released
for GHADC under agreed text
Our Bureau
SHILLONG/TURA, Sep 21: The implementation of key provisions of Garo Accord is marred by deliberate delays, according to BJP MDC from Tura, Bernard Marak, who has accused the state government of causing a severe financial and administrative crisis within the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
The Tura MDC’s statement comes after Chief Minister Conrad Sangma stated that the widely circulated claim that the Centre had released Rs 250 crore to the GHADC under the text agreement with the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) is incorrect.
The CM clarified that the state has not received any funds so far, nor has the Centre responded to the request.
Marak was outright in rubbishing CM’s claims. Countering his statement, Marak asserted that an amount of over Rs 308 crore had already been received by the state for the Council but was never given.
“The letter by the MoEF, Government of India, on September 26, 2023, clearly states that an amount of Rs 308 crore has already been disbursed to the state with the Centre directing that the money be released to GHADC for forest-related activities (following a proposal by the GHADC – Forest). This money has not been provided to the GHADC as far as we know,” said Bernard.
He said that the Rs 664 crore package proposed for GHADC by the Centre will not be released unless the state convenes the Monitoring Committee meeting as mandated under Paragraph 12.1 of the Accord and constitutes the State Finance Committee under Paragraph 7.7.
He maintained that the government’s negligence in honouring the terms of the Agreement has deepened the current crisis in the Council.
Citing a letter written by Dr Vijay Kumar D to the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Marak pointed out that the proposal for Rs 664 crore was formally placed before the Centre and even shared with the Accord signatories by Ashahel D Shira during a Council-level Review Committee meeting.
The signatories, he said, have been monitoring the issue closely and have insisted that funds cannot be released without forming the State Finance Committee, since the absence of such a body compromises accountability and transparency, thereby violating Paragraph 7.6 of the Agreement.
“The state authorities should not take advantage of the Agreement. We are ready to help if the state government is sincere to implement the Garo Accord,” Marak stated, adding that the MDA government has been deliberately dragging its feet for the last 11 years while extracting maximum benefit from the situation.
He also disclosed that out of the Rs 664 crore sought, Rs 308 crore was earmarked for forest and environment-related activities. In a letter dated September 26, 2023, the MHA had directed the state government to hand over this portion of the fund to the Council. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests was also instructed to release the Rs 308 crore, subject to the Monitoring Committee’s review of decisions taken under the Agreed Text for Settlement signed between the Centre, the State, and the ANVC and ANVC(B).
Marak further asserted that the state must engage in impartial talks with the former breakaway group, warning that the government’s biased approach in the past has only contributed to delays in implementing the Accord.
