Rs 664 cr sought from Centre to implement Agreed Text of Settlement
Shillong, Sep 25: In a significant move towards ensuring lasting peace in Garo Hills, implementation of the Agreed Text for Settlement with the disbanded Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) and its breakaway faction ANVC (B) will be discussed in a meeting on Friday.
The meeting to be chaired by Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong will be attended by the chief executive member (CEM) and deputy chief executive member (Dy CEM) of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) besides eight former rebel leaders, including ANVC chairman Dillash Marak and ANVC B chairman Bernard N Marak.
It has been 11 years since the Agreed Text for Settlement was signed on September 24, 2014.
Meanwhile, the state government recently sought Rs 664.49 crore from the Centre for GHADC to implement the Agreed Text of Settlement.
Of this, Rs 252 crore was also sought for release of 43 months pending salary of the GHADC employees.
In a letter to Ministry of Home Affairs, the state government also informed that the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change has already approved projects on forest related activities with an outlay of Rs 308 crore.
DPRs relating to installation of solar street lights, development of rural markets, and promotion of fruit cultivation and value addition through primary processing have also been submitted with a total budget of Rs 104.34 crore.
With the government seeking funds for GHADC, BJP MDC from Tura, Bernard N Marak, emphasided the need for the government to convene a monitoring committee meeting and constitution of a State Finance Committee as per the Garo Accord.
Marak had alleged that the state government has long ignored implementation of the Agreement which has led to present crisis in GHADC.
