Meghalaya News 24 exclusive
With the demand for making Tura, headquarters of the West Garo Hills as ‘winter capital’ of Meghalaya, taking centre stage, legislator from Rongara Siju constituency Rakkam A Sangma on Tuesday said, though it has been a long pending demand of the people of Garo Hills, but it’s not easy as this need a greater consultation.
Sharing his views on the matter, Sangma told Meghalaya News 24, the people of every district in the state should have a feeling of belongingness.
“For all these we need greater consultation. It was a dream of many including me if it could be but it’s not easy. The best part is that the Government should be able to reach out to the nooks and corner of the state, not only to Tura or Jowai or Shillong but people of every district should have the feeling of belongingness in the state and this is what the Government has done,” the legislator from Rongara Siju constituency said.
It may be mentioned that the state government has created nine new C&RD blocks recently in its effort to reach out to the larger section of the people and bring administration closer to the people.
However, the A’chik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK), an NGO from the Garo Hills region has petitioned Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to declare Tura, headquarters of the West Garo Hills as ‘winter capital’ of Meghalaya, in keeping with the long cherished dream and the promise of the government since statehood. In its letter, the ACHIK said that this move would ensure “equitable distribution of development and administration” across the state and would lead to the overall uplift of the people of Meghalaya, and “not just a particular region”.
Reacting to this, the NPP legislator said, “It’s the wish of the people, it’s the long pending demand that the people of Garo Hills had. For the last 50 years it was the wish of many people but it’s not easy also. “
Asked , he said, “It may be a dream but right now the present government is doing all necessary things to bring all the district heads together. We see a lot of development be it in Tura, Jowai or Baghmara, so in the last five years it’s amazing to see the development take place.”
“ People are happy today because this Government has reached out to every nook and corner of the state,” the legislator claimed.