Shillong, April 1: The All Garo Hills Merchant Association (AGHMA) on Friday said that setting up a ‘second capital’ is the need of the hour as the founding fathers of the state has envisioned.

“Having a second capital in Garo Hills would not only boost the development in the region of Garo Hills but it will also boost the business sector which in turn will boost the economy of the region,” AGHMA president Thoseng Chiba Marak said in a statement.

He said that governments in the past have neglected the Garo Hills region in all sectors and have turned deaf ear to the demands of the people of Garo Hills for a second capital.

“There are too many valid reasons for the need for the setting up of the winter capital in Tura one of which is the ethnicity difference in the state. Meghalaya will not be the first to experiment with dual capital in the country as many states have and are still in practice today,” Marak said.

The AGHMA also called upon likeminded people of Garo Hills as well as the organizations to join hands and steer the demand for a winter capital in Tura.