SHILLONG: At a time when the disbanded ANVC-B has fielded candidates for October 12 GHADC polls, the parent group (ANVC) has decided to stay away from it as it wants fulfillment of the Agreed Text for Settlement signed with both State and Central Governments in Delhi on September 24 last year.
Former General Secretary of ANVC Wanding Mark told The Shillong Times that his group would not contest the GHADC polls as they have to wait for the realization of Agreed Text for Settlement.
The former ANVC-B chairman Rimpu Marak has already filed his nomination to contest from Tura as an Independent candidate.
According to ANVC leadership, several amendments need to be carried out in the Agreed Text for Settlement before it becomes a reality.
Unlike the agreement arrived with other militant groups in the Northeast, the Centre has not promised any financial assistance or special economic package for the development of Garo Hills as per the Agreed Text for Settlement.
While the Centre had announced a financial assistance of Rs 100 crore per annum for 5 years for projects to develop the socio-economic infrastructure in Bodoland Territorial Council, (BTC) areas, the amount announced for Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council when an agreement was signed with UPDS in November 2011 was a special economic package of Rs.350 crore (Rs.70 crore per annum) over and above the plan fund over the next 5 years.
Besides, a special economic package of Rs 200 crore (Rs.40 crore per annum) over and above the plan fund over the next five years was agreed to be provided to the Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council ( DHATC) when both the factions of Dima Halam Daogah signed the agreement in October, 2012.
Sources said that ANVC wanted clarity on the exclusion of financial package in the Agreed Text for Settlement.
Another cause of worry is that the Centre is yet to respond to the request of the State Government to provide one time financial package of Rs 2.5 each for each cadre.
Moreover, the state government has not yet received any feedback from Centre on the monthly stipend of Rs 3000 for each cadre, which has been pending for the last several months.
