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Garo villagers protest �inclusion� under GMDA

By A Correspondent

BOKO, Dec 8 - Around five thousand Garo villagers, including thousands of women, protest against the proposed inclusion of their villages here under Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) by taking out a procession recently from the Garo National Council Office to the market.

After the procession, they held a meeting in this regard. According to the villagers, if their villages are included under GMDA, they have to pay more tax. Moreover, simple and uneducated tribal people will face many difficulties in every field. Specially, they will lose their protection from the tribal belt and the land of their villages will go to people of the other community.

A woman, on condition of anonymity, said, �Despite several protests, the Assam Government included us in the Rabha Hasong Council and in the process, our development has totally stopped. Nowadays, our villagers do not see any doctor, teacher or other government official in the area. We are not having basic facilities like electricity, medical facilities, drinking water, education, toilet etc. Most of the children and women are suffering from proper nutrition. Illiteracy is the major problem for us and without literacy how will we survive in a city. Our land will be occupied by businessmen and we will become homeless.�

They also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, in this regard.

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