Shillong, Feb 16: BJP MDC from Tura Bernard N Marak has raised the delay in implementing the Agreed Text for Settlement (ATS), with the former Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi under whose tenure an agreement was signed between the Centre, State and the ANVC groups.
“When BJP came to power at the Centre, the agreement was signed within 6 months whereas the Congress government delayed the settlement process for more than 10 years. The Congress government in the state intentionally delayed the implementation of the settlement process after signing the agreement and now, the NPP government in the state deliberately delayed the implementation of the agreement following the footsteps of the Congress These are the parties which are anti-tribal and against hill people’s agreement which aimed to strengthen the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) through the amendment of the Sixth Schedule”, Bernard said in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to Bernard, the BJP wants to empower the traditional institutions, traditional system, local self governance, rural and urban local bodies and direct funding from the Centre.
“Congress and NPP leaders have sabotaged the agreement signed with the BJP government while the state reaps the benefits of the funds sanctioned from the Centre. The agreement was signed in 2014 and in 2025, not much changes came to ADCs”, he said.
For the last ten years, the Autonomous District Councils were not handed over the 13 departments, no financial support was given and not even a single meeting was held in last 5 years, Bernard said.
“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, the MDC said.
Bernard said detailed list of incomplete projects, misuse of funds and deliberate delay in implementing the agreement will be raised with the central leaders very soon.
“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.
