BJP MDC slams Congress, NPP for sabotaging agreement singed with Centre

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 16, 2025

BJP MDC from Tura Bernard N Marak has raised the issue of delaying in the implementation of the Agreed Text for Settlement (ATS), with the former Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi under whose tenure an agrrement was signed between the Centre, State and ANVC groups. 

He also slammed Congress and NPP leaders for allegedly sabotaging the agreement signed with the BJP government while the State reap the benefits of the funds sanctioned from the Centre.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Marak said when BJP came to power in the Centre, the agreement was signed within 6 months whereas the Congress government delayed the settlement process for more than 10 years. 

He said that the Congress government in the State intentionally delayed the implementation of the settlement process after signing of the agreement and now, the NPP government in the state deliberately delayed the implementation of the agreement following the footsteps of the Congress adding “these are the parties which are anti tribal and anti Hill people’s agreement which aimed to strenghten the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) through the amendment of the Sixth Schedule.”

Marak also claimed that the BJP wants to empower the Traditional Institutions, Traditional system, Local Self Governance, Rural and Urban Local Bodies and direct funding from the Centre and said, “Congress and NPP leaders have sabotaged the agreement signed with the BJP government while the State reap the benefits of the Funds sanctioned from the Centre.”

” The agrrement was signed in 2014 and in 2025, not much changed cane to ADCs. 10 years, the Autonomous District Councils are not handed over the 13 departments, no financial support and not even a single meeting in last 5 years. The State has taken advantage of the Agreed Text for Settlement by hijacking all the funds to State departments. The Autonomous District Councils started getting special packages after signing of the agreement but the Rulling party has misused the funds through their contractors leaving the ADCs in Meghalaya unable to submit the Utilisation Certificates as most of the projects are duplicated and left incomplete. Detailed list of imcompleted projects, misuse of funds and deliberate delay in implementing the agreement will be raised with the Central leaders very soon,” he said.

“125th amendment to the Sixth Schedule is due now which was delayed because of the reluctant attitude of the state. BJP is committed to uplift the ADCs through the Agreed Text for Settlement and by strengthening Local Bodies and encouraging Local Self Governance,” he added.