Meghalaya Government likely not to adhere to the demand of the Achik Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK). Chief Minister Conrad Sangma categorically stated that after consulting with various organisations and taking due consensus, the state Government has decided to go ahead with the Office Memorandum, hence to go back and look into it will be difficult.
Talking to reporters in Shillong, Chief Minister Sangma on Thursday said he would be meeting the ACHIK group, which are staging an indefinite hunger strike demanding for a backlog policy and winter capital at Tura, during his next visit to Garo Hills.
“Coming to their concerns I have made it very very clear that regarding the roster system we have taken a decision after deep consultation with all stakeholders and that decision was communicated to everybody including the ACHIK group also and they were present in the meeting. They raised concerns ofcourse but we clarify those concerns in those meetings and only after that after taking consensus from most people we go ahead with the Office Memorandum (OM). Hence for us to go back and look into it will be very difficult,” Sangma said.
With regard to making Tura the winter capital of the state of Meghalaya, CM said the ultimate goal is to ensure that the development reaches to the people and overall administration gets closer to the people, therefore, the Meghalaya Government is coming up with Mini Secretariat in Tura and is working hard to ensure that the Governor house in Tura is completed within this calendar year.
“Regarding to the winter capital which they are mentioning, the aspect and the issue of development has always been important us as a MDA Government and we have also ensured that the Development is done on very very broad manner where all regions and areas are kept in mind while we worked towards development issues, so if you look at Tura, now we are starting the mini secretariat out there,”he said.
The CM further added that the Mini Secretariat is a very big step and most of the organisations understand the impact of that.
“I am sure that when I sit with the ACHIK group also, we will be able to explain to them the impact of the Mini secretariat. So the Mini secretariat will come up there. As I said there will be large investment as well as large administration reforms taking place out there and hence we will see overall improvement in the delivery of schemes and the presence of the administration in a much stronger manner in the coming days and in the coming years,” He said.
Stating that strengthening and overall improvement in administration is taking place, Sangma said, “We have done hard work to ensure that the Governor house in Tura is complete, so we are almost in the verge of completion; we expect that within a few months or maximum within this calendar year before December I am very sure that we can make that functional also.”
As the ACHIK continues with their strike, the CM said he is in touch with the District administration. The Chief Minister said, “I have sent a message across to them that I will be meeting them on my next visit to Garo Hills. The Deputy Commission has been continuously following it up and an ADC is present there all the time. Doctors and other officials are also there all the time and we are monitoring the situation very closely. “
Meanwhile, at the Te *engkol junction of Tura, the protesters were shouting slogans ‘Go back Ampareen Lyngdoh ‘ while protesting against the statement made by Cabinet Minister and spokesperson of MDA 2 Government Dr M Ampareen Lyngdoh, wherein she termed the demand for Tura as the second capital of the state as untenable.
The supporters also raised slogans against Ampareen Lyngdoh and criticised the minister for her statement opposing Tura Winter Capital.
Ampareen Lyngdoh, who is on a tour of Garo Hills starting Thursday to inspect the departments and hold discussions with officials.