SHILLONG:
Former Sohra legislator and present Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Titosstarwell Chyne, said that the demand for Sohra district is not new.
“It all started in 2009 when the joint action committee was formed and later in 2018 the South East District Demand Forum was constituted when Donkupar Roy was alive. After the election, he convened a public meeting at Ramakrishna Mission and the forum was entrusted to do the needful,” Chyne said.
He said that he and Balajied Synrem, the Shella legislator, have been taking up the matter from time to time.
“Even being only an MDC I have been taking this up issue every now and then,” Chyne said.
He said that the last time the forum met as a group was with the Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, after creation of Eastern West Khasi Hills district.
The Sohra MDC said that the chief minister at that time told them that there were some areas of concerns and challenges and because of which it had not been possible to take the discussion forward.
Chyne said that his personal stand is to upgrade Sohra civil subdivision to a district.
He also feels that the Sohra district issue will not be an election plank since traditional heads like the Syiem, pressure groups and representatives are all involved in the matter.
“So at this moment to turn this into an election issue is not right, it is wrong and is misleading for the public,” Chyne said.
He also said that granting district status to Sohra cannot be decided by the government or an individual but it needs a collective decision.
“The MLAs of Sohra and Shella, the MDCs of these two constituencies, the Syiem and other traditional heads should discuss the issues clearly because otherwise only the foundation stone will be laid,” he said.
Without naming anyone, Chyne said that he found it funny the issue of upgrading Sohra to a district came up all of a sudden just because someone wants to fight an election.
Recently, the National People’s Party (NPP) candidate from Sohra, Allan West Kharkongor, said that the people of Sohra are expecting to get a district from the government as a Christmas gift.