Meghalaya: BJP MDC Alleges Deliberate Delays in Garo Accord Implementation

BJP leader and MDC Bernard Marak has accused the Meghalaya state government of intentionally stalling the implementation of the Garo Accord, leading to a severe financial and administrative crisis within the council.

His remarks come in response to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s claim that the central government has not released Rs 250 crore to the GHADC as part of the agreement with the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), a statement Marak strongly disputes.

Marak alleged that the state government has already received over Rs 308 crore from the Centre for the GHADC but has failed to transfer these funds to the council. He cited a letter dated September 26, 2023, from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), which confirms that Rs 308 crore was disbursed to the state for forest-related activities proposed by the GHADC’s Forest Department. “As far as we know, this amount has not been released to the GHADC,” Marak stated.

He further claimed that the state’s inaction has blocked the release of a proposed Rs 664 crore package from the Centre, intended for the GHADC. According to Marak, the funds are contingent on the state convening the Monitoring Committee meeting, as stipulated in Paragraph 12.1 of the Garo Accord, and establishing the State Finance Committee under Paragraph 7.7. He argued that the government’s failure to comply with these provisions has exacerbated the council’s ongoing crisis.

Marak referenced a letter from Vijay Kumar D to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which outlined the Rs 664 crore proposal, noting that it was shared with Accord signatories by Ashahel D Shira during a Council-level Review Committee meeting. He emphasised that the signatories are closely monitoring the situation and have insisted that the absence of the State Finance Committee undermines transparency and accountability, violating Paragraph 7.6 of the Accord.

“The state government must stop exploiting the Accord for its own benefit,” Marak urged, expressing readiness to cooperate if the government demonstrates sincerity in implementing the agreement. He accused the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government of deliberately delaying progress for the past 11 years while maximising its own gains.

Marak also highlighted that Rs 308 crore of the proposed Rs 664 crore was designated for forest and environment-related initiatives. A September 26, 2023, MHA directive instructed the state to transfer this amount to the GHADC, with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests tasked to release the funds pending the Monitoring Committee’s review of decisions under the Agreed Text for Settlement signed by the Centre, the state, and the ANVC and ANVC(B).