SHILLONG: A conglomeration of pressure groups from Garo Hills moved the Centre over varied issues plaguing the region including the delay in fulfilling the Agreed Text for Settlement signed by both factions of ANVC with the government.
During the recent meeting, the pressure groups including the GSU, ADE, AYWO, FAF and FKJGP submitted a memorandum to Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Satyendra Garg in this regard.
One of the features of the agreement was to form various committees to speed up the implementation of the peace pact.
In the memorandum, the pressure groups said that no committee has been appointed to identify and define the nature and the extent of minor works that can be transferred to the GHADC as per the provision of the Agreed Text for Settlement.
The pressure groups also said that no commission has been set up to ponder upon the intricacies to bring the Civic Administration (Municipal Council) under the jurisdiction of the Council which was also part of the agreement.
Besides, there has been no feedback on the issue of increasing the number of seats in the GHADC to 40 even though it has been agreed upon.
The pressure groups also rued that Horticulture College and other institutions as agreed in the Text for Settlement have not seen the light of day and there were also no signs of up gradation of the district hospitals in Garo Hills which was also mandatory.
“A Committee under the Chairmanship of the Joint Secretary (NE), MHA, Government of India was supposed to review the status of implementation of the decisions under this agreement every six months, but for more than one year no meeting was held,” the pressure groups said in the memorandum.
They also expressed reservation against any move to implement AFSPA in Garo Hills and suggested the government to check the smuggling of arms and ammunition from across the border.
The pressure groups also said that the Central Government must make sure that the country’s borders with Bangladesh is secure since that will not only solve the problem of influx in the Northeast but also curb militancy through effective control of availability of arms.
