By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: A group of NGOs from Garo Hills has claimed on Thursday that Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has dismissed the demand for creation of a Plain Belt Area District (PBAD).
The NGOs from Tikrikilla in West Garo Hills, including the GSU and FKJGP, made the claim following their meeting with the Chief Minister when they also submitted a memorandum to him.
According to the NGOs, the Chief Minister was of the opinion that since Ampati would be upgraded into a district there was no need for creation of a plain belt district.
The memorandum submitted by the NGOs claims that the demand for a plain belt district is nothing but a political trick aimed at gaining political mileage ahead of the Assembly election in 2013.
The NGOs further claimed that the demand for a separate plain belt district would create a situation of communal tension between the tribal and non-tribal communities which may threaten the age-old communal harmony existing in the region.
Meanwhile, the NGOs have also claimed that there are some people who are not citizens of Meghalaya but are enlisted in the voter’s list of Meghalaya.
“There are some people in Rajpur, the proposed headquarter of the plain belt district who are dual voters being enlisted in the voter’s list of both Meghalaya and Assam. We are sure that some politicians have assured proper facilities to them in return for their votes,” the NGOs claimed.
The NGOs have also demanded for an immediate review of the electoral rolls of the plain belt areas.
