SHILLONG, Feb 25 - Militant outfit United A�chik Liberation Army (UALA), which signed a peace pact with Meghalaya Government, will formally lay down arms at a ceremony at Tura on February 29 as a step for lasting peace in the Garo Hills region, officials said today.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and his Cabinet colleagues will be present at the disbanding ceremony which would also be witnessed by church leaders, NGOs and senior citizens, they said.
The outfit, which has a cadre strength of 71, was formed with the demand for a separate Garoland to be carved out of the State. The government will facilitate rehabilitation of the UALA cadres and give Rs 2.5 lakh to each of them as seed money for income generation initiatives. � PTI
