Shillong:– Bernard N Marak, a BJP MDC from Tura, has directly confronted former Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi, voicing frustration over the long-standing delays in implementing the 2014 Agreed Text for Settlement (ATS). The agreement, aimed at enhancing tribal autonomy in Meghalaya, has remained largely unimplemented, sparking criticism from Marak against both the Congress and the NPP leadership.
Marak accused successive Congress governments of deliberately stalling the process while misusing central funds meant for tribal development. “The Congress government delayed the settlement process for more than 10 years, while BJP completed it within six months of coming to power,” Marak asserted on Sunday.
Highlighting the lack of progress since the signing of the ATS in 2014, Marak revealed that 13 key departments were supposed to be transferred to the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) but remain under state control. He further alleged that not a single meeting had been held in the last five years to discuss the matter, claiming that state government departments had hijacked funds intended for ADCs.
The BJP leader also accused the ruling party’s contractors of mismanaging special package funds, leaving numerous development projects incomplete. As a result, ADCs have been unable to submit utilisation certificates, which has further delayed central funding. Marak announced plans to present detailed evidence of incomplete projects and financial irregularities to BJP’s central leadership.
Emphasizing his party’s commitment to tribal autonomy, Marak highlighted the pending 125th amendment to the Sixth Schedule, which seeks to strengthen tribal governance structures. “BJP wants to empower Traditional Institutions, strengthen Local Self-Governance, and ensure direct funding from the Centre,” he declared, contrasting the BJP’s approach with what he termed as “anti-tribal policies” of Congress and NPP.
Marak reaffirmed his *determination to bring these concerns to the highest levels of BJP leadership, vowing to expose what he described as the state government’s systematic efforts to weaken tribal autonomy. His push for immediate action underscores growing political pressure on the state and central governments to honor the commitments made in the ATS.
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