By our special correspondent
TURA:
Security has been beefed up across Tura town in the wake of a shutdown call given by several pressure groups from the region who are opposing the election of the new CEM of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council.
Several groups, particularly the Garo Students Union led by Tengsak G Momin faction, FKJGP, ADE, AYWO and FAF, have refused to accept the victory of Rakesh A Sangma as the new CEM of GHADC despite the Babelapara MDC winning the contest in an election conducted by secret ballot on Monday morning.
The protesting groups claim that the new CEM is not a tribal, even though Rakesh A Sangma’s mother is a Garo and hails from the Agitok clan of the Garo tribe.
West Garo Hills deputy commissioner Ram Singh has imposed Section 144 CrPC extending it to the entire complex of the GHADC in Hawakhana here to check against any disruption of the normal functioning of the autonomous body.
In view of the notice that some NGOs are going to protest against the functioning of GHADC office, and such protest will obstruct the smooth functioning of the office works and also violate Covid-19 protocol, the district magistrate, West Garo Hills, has promulgated an order under Section 144 Cr PC read together with Regulation 3 of the Meghalaya Epidemic Disease, Covid-19 Regulations, 2020 prohibiting assembly or gathering of more than five persons at a place at any time on the office premises.
The order also prohibits “causing any obstruction or intimidation to movement of office vehicles or office-goers, moving in to the areas mentioned with the intention of carrying out any kind of protest and carrying or concealing on person of lathis, sticks, stones, missiles, firearms or any kind of lethal weapons, by any person or group of persons or organization”.
However, this order would not apply to armed force personnel or para-military personnel and other law enforcing agencies on lawful duty or deployment.