Shillong, Aug 18: Tura MDC Bernard N Marak has taken the extraordinary step of appealing to the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, in his role as chairman of a regional alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), known as the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), to topple the National People’s Party (NPP)-led executive committee in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
In a letter dated today, Bernard, who like Sarma is a member of the BJP, said that the state government, which is also led by the NPP, is guilty of “systemic failure” to uphold the mandate of the GHADC and of continued neglect of the Garo Accord.
The Garo Accord was signed by the state and central governments with two rebel group factions, one of which was led by Bernard, in 2014.
The MDC said that the agreement aimed to restore the autonomy and functionality of the district councils in Meghalaya but the state government has instead “persistently delayed the transfer of departments, withheld revenue shares and undermined the council’s ability to serve its people. The result has been financial collapse, with GHADC employees left unpaid for 43 months and the council stripped of its core responsibilities,” he added.
As chairman of NEDA, Bernard appealed to Sarma to weigh in and force the NPP to give up control of the GHADC to the BJP. The saffron party does not have enough seats on its own but would need allies like the NPP to allow it to rule.
