Tura, Sept 11: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday defended the newly implemented Separate Electoral Roll (SER) for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) and oversaw the launch of a digital land records system for the Council, even as he inaugurated a string of infrastructure and tourism projects in Tikrikilla and Raksamgre, West Garo Hills.
The Chief Minister was joined by Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira, Deputy Speaker Limison D. Sangma, local MLA Jimmy D. Sangma, and GHADC Chief Executive Member Dhormonath Sangma, along with senior district officials.
Addressing the gathering, Conrad K Sangma described the implementation of the Separate Electoral Roll for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) as a historic and bold decision that resolved a long-pending issue. “The Separate Electoral Roll was a very big decision. We have passed the rules and resolved a long pending problem once and for all,” he said.
Seeking to reassure non-tribal residents, he added: “No non-tribal should feel hurt. We are not against any community. We have lived peacefully for ages and we will always live together and work together. This decision was necessary to bring clarity and to protect the interests of our tribal communities.”
Land Records Go Digital
In a separate move aimed at governance reform, the GHADC launched its Patta Management System (PMS) Portal, a digital platform intended to streamline land records and patta management across Council areas.
Officials said the system is designed to bring greater transparency, easier citizen access, and improved efficiency to land documentation and service delivery.
Alongside the portal, the Council also released a Service Conduct Rules Book, a rulebook governing the functioning and conduct of GHADC employees, aimed at improving professionalism, accountability and administrative discipline.
Sangma commended CEM Dhormonath Sangma and the Council’s MDCs for driving the reforms, calling them part of a larger governance overhaul.
Infrastructure and Tourism Projects
The visit also saw the Chief Minister inaugurate and lay foundation stones for several infrastructure works: an RCC bridge under the PWD roads scheme at Jangrapara, Raksamgre; a new tourism guest house at Nagargaon, Tikrikilla; and a second guest house planned for Raksamgre. He also inaugurated Megha Agro Gold, a newly opened private agro-processing unit in Tikrikilla that will process locally sourced areca nut, jackfruit and pineapple.
The chief minister reiterated that road connectivity remained central to the state’s economic strategy, citing sharp reductions in travel time across Garo Hills — including the Baghmara-Rongara stretch, down from roughly three hours to 30-45 minutes, and Rongara-Ranikor, now about an hour compared to three previously. He said the state had built close to 3,500 kilometres of new roads over the past seven to eight years, an average of 1.1 km per day, a pace he called unmatched in the preceding two decades.
Looking ahead, he pointed to the Dhubri-Phulbari bridge — a Rs 3,500-crore project billed as the longest bridge in eastern India — as nearing completion, and outlined a proposed corridor linking Dalu, Baghmara, Ranikor, Shella and Ratecherra up to the Bangladesh border, which he said would eventually connect Silchar, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
Social Spending and Local Industry
Sangma said more than Rs 200 crore had been sanctioned over the past four years across 56 blocks statewide for upgrading schools, block offices and health centres. He also pointed to the Megha Agro Gold unit and a jackfruit-and-pineapple ice cream venture in Tikrikilla as early examples of adding value to local produce, calling for more such industries to benefit farmers.
He also expressed happiness while mentioning to the audience that election-time commitments made to Tikrikilla voters — including road construction and the new guest houses — had now been delivered.
The event drew local leaders, Nokmas, government officials and a large turnout of residents from Tikrikilla and Raksamgre.
