Meghalaya: UDP discusses interstate boundary row, inclusion of Khasi-Garo language issues

SHILLONG:

The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the United Democratic Party (UDP) held a meeting on Friday, where several pertinent issues afflicting the state were discussed.

Issues like the decades-long inter-State boundary dispute with Assam, the inclusion of the Khasi-Garo language in the Eighth Schedule and raising the upper age limit of applicants for government jobs from the existing 32 years to 37 years, were discussed at the meeting.

UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh said, the issue to raise the upper age limit is very critical given the increase of the unemployment rate in the State.

"The Education department has already increased the age limit from 32 to 37 years. We feel that the Government needs to take up this issue seriously for the interest of the unemployed youth," UDP president said.

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Lyngdoh said that they also discussed strategies to further strengthen the party to ensure they get more MLAs in the coming years.

"We had also discussed the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) since we have got candidates who would like to contest," he informed.

To a query as to how many constituencies the party is planning to contest, he said that it would be difficult to give a number but there are a few candidates who are keen to contest in the GHADC elections.

"We have entrusted a few state leaders (including those from) Garo Hills to look into the preparedness of the party in the GHADC elections. As of now, the Government is yet to decide when they are holding the elections," he said.

The UDP president further informed that the party will continue to oppose the introduction of railway till Shillong and added that the party is also against the proposal to bring in passenger trains.

"We have no problem to bring goods' trains till Byrnihat," Lyngdoh said.

On the inclusion of the Khasi and Garo language in the Eighth Schedule, he said that the party will again be writing to the State Government to follow up on this issue with the Centre.

"We feel that the Khasi and Garo language deserves to be included in the Eighth Schedule. We can only request the Centre since this issue is a central subject," he said.