By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 22: Six months after the demolition of the Garo Labour Corps Cenotaph in Tura, the construction of the new permanent structure is yet to begin. However, the state government has assured that the foundation for the new monument will be laid very soon.
Cabinet Minister Marcuise Marak, who heads the committee formed after the demolition, revealed that the designs for the permanent structure have been finalised, but the process was delayed due to certain procedural lapses.
He further stated that construction work will begin shortly, and the design for the new Cenotaph has already been approved by the committee. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is also expected to be present during the foundation-laying ceremony.
According to Marak, the construction work will be entrusted to a local architect who prepared the design.
The demolition of the Garo Labour Corps Cenotaph at Lower Babupara, Tura, by the Tura Municipal Board earlier this year had sparked massive outrage across Garo Hills. Stating that the government too disapproved of the manner in which the demolition was carried out, Marak added that the new Cenotaph will bear the names of all members of the Garo Labour Corps, including those whose names were omitted in the original structure.
The Cenotaph is a historical monument in Tura, built in honour of the several hundred Garos who sacrificed their lives during the First World War in France, as well as those who returned on July 16, 1918.
