Conrad facing more demands for new civil sub-divisions

A Correspondent

Shillong, July 4: After State Chief Minister Conrad Kongkal Sangma announced that Ranikor would be upgraded to a civil sub-division, the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) is receiving a plethora of similar demands.

The decision of the Meghalaya government to cede to the demand for upgrading Ranikor from an administrative unit to a civil sub-division has cost the opposition Congress a legislator.

On June 21, veteran Congress leader Martin M Danggo quit as member of the Meghalaya Assembly and will soon be joining the NPP.

Presently, such a demand has come from a legislator belonging to the ruling dispensation. On Wednesday, the NPP legislator from Jirang, Sosthenes Sohtun, met Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong and demanded that the area under Ri-Bhoi district be upgraded to a civil sub-division.

Earlier, soon after the state government announced the upgrading of Ranikor to a civil sub-division similar demands came in from Mawlai, Umroi and Mawsynram.

It may be pointed out that all the three constituencies are represented by Congress MLAs; while Process T Sawkmie is the Mawlai legislator, Umroi is represented by George B Lyngdoh and Mawsynram by Himalaya M Shangpliang.

Meanwhile, speaking to media persons after meeting the Deputy CM, Sohtun informed that they met Tynsong wherein a memorandum was submitted demanding the up-gradation of Patharkhmah administrative unit to a civil sub-division.

The Jirang legislator, however said that the state government has not given any assurance on the matter. “The Deputy Chief Minister told us that the Government is going to examine the matter,” Sohtun said.

He further said that the Patharkhmah administrative unit was created 23 years back adding that it is high time that it should be upgraded to a civil sub-division.

Stating that the creation of a civil sub-division would bring the administration closer to the people, the Jirang MLA said it would greatly benefit the people who are residing in the border villages with Assam.