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Meghalaya polls: TMC releases manifesto, pledges to revoke border pact with Assam

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HT Bureau

 

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SHILLONG, Jan 24: Opposition TMC in Meghalaya on Tuesday said it would “revoke” the border pact signed with Assam if it comes to power in the state, asserting that fresh consultations will be initiated for a “sustainable” solution to the boundary dispute.

Assembly polls in Meghalaya are scheduled to be held on February 27 and counting of votes will take place on March 2.

Assam and Meghalaya had in March 2022 decided to end their five-decade-old border crisis in six of the 12 contested locations

“To address the issue of unwarranted surrender of land to Assam and protect the residents in border villages, the Border MoU signed with the Government of Assam will be revoked, and a fresh set of consultations will be initiated to find a sustainable solution to the border crisis,” the TMC manifesto, released by the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, said.

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“In addition, the security of residents of border villages will also be enhanced through the setting up of police check-posts in strategic locations, and prevent unwarranted firing of Mukroh-like incidents that led to the unfortunate death of innocent residents of Meghalaya,” it said.

Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma said that the party’s manifesto is “nothing imaginative but completely realistic.”

Sangma went on to say that the state has been robbed of its momentum of growth and development and it is time to free the people from the current dispensation.

He further urged politicians from other parties to join the TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee.

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Speaking on the occasion, Banerjee said, “These are pledges not promises. We make a pledge to ensure that they are being implemented to the last person we have promised them.”

The tenth pledge ‘honour to traditional institutions and sacred land’ states about the need to revoke the border deal, introduce a holistic village administration bill, implementation of Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, (MRSSA), 2016 to have a comprehensive registry of all legal tenants.

A private member’s bill will be tabled in Parliament for recognition of Khasi and Garo languages.

Other nine pledges include focus on music, sports , culture and tourism, robust civic amenities for residents, quality education for children, holistic health care for all, better produce, happy farmers, social security for all, empowered women prosperous Meghalaya , guarantee of a brighter future, abundant opportunities for a thriving economy.

The party also promised a “poverty-free” Meghalaya and assured a double-digit growth for the state in the next five years.

The TMC bolstered its footing in the northeastern state after 12 out of 17 Congress MLAs joined the party in 2021.

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The Hills Times
The Hills Timeshttps://www.thehillstimes.in/
The Hills Times, a largely circulated English daily published from Diphu and printed in Guwahati, having vast readership in hills districts of Assam, and neighbouring Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.
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