GHADC urges Govt to set up police battalion camps to stop Assam’s encroachment

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 22, 2021

The Garo Hills Autonomous District Council has sought the immediate intervention of the state government for setting up of police battalion camps to address the problem of alleged illegal encroachment by Assam.

In a letter to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday, GHADC Deputy Chief Executive Member in-charge Land and Revenue Nikman Ch Marak said the unabated illegal activities indulged by the Assam government well inside the soil of our state particularly in the Garo Hills sector which is in gross violation of the bilateral agreement executed long before need to be looked into at an early date so as to ensure the lasting peace and prosperity in the trouble torn area.

He said Tikrikilla is the only full-fledged police station in the entire area and due to the dearth of sufficient police force, safety, security and encroachment including other illegal activities cannot be checked leading to the disturbance of the peaceful coexistence of the diverse community in the whole region.

He also added that since a vast track of land is still lying idle under the B.Mahal areas which are paving an ample way for the encroachers from Assam to occupy those lands both for illegal settlement and plantation of different varieties of cash crops like rubber and areca nut, etc.

“In order to contain all these illegal activities, Police Battalion Camps may kindly be set up which will also create the avenues of job opportunities for the unemployed local youths,” Marak wrote.

He further suggested the state government announce incentives to local people so that they are encouraged to settle in the border areas.

“I would sincerely suggest your benign Government to judiciously announce the incentives to the local populace so that they will get the encouragement to settle in those border areas as most of them are fleeing from their homes every year to escape the harassment by the encroachers from Assam,” Marak added.

The deputy CEM also asserted that with a view to bring about the administration closer to the people, the newly created Raksamgre Civil Sub-Division needs to be fully functionalized vis a vis strengthening of the neighbouring North Garo Hills district administration.