Shillong, Jan 22: The Sohra District Demand Forum (SDDF) on Sunday expressed its disappointment over the undue delay by the MDA Government to notify the upgradation of Sohra Civil Sub-Division to a full-fledged District.

SDDF chairman Atiar Syiemlieh, in a statement, informed that the forum had met the Chief Minister on October 26, 2022 at his office where he had assured to examine the demand which is the aspiration of the people of the entire Sohra Civil Sub-Division.

In the first week of January 2023, the Chief Minister conveyed through SDDF member Alan West Kharkongor that he wanted to meet the members of the Forum on 5th January, 2023 to declare Sohra Civil Sub-Division as a full-fledged District.

He said the Forum immediately called a meeting with the traditional heads of Sohra Civil Sub-Division to inform them about this.

However, at the meeting held on January 5, 2023 at Sohra Circuit House, the Chief Minister disappointed the members of the Forum and the traditional heads by giving only an assurance that the government will upgrade Sohra Civil Sub-Division as a full-fledged District with Sohra as the headquarter. He did not at all give a clear cut message as to when this assurance will become a reality.

“This assurance by the Chief Minister at the meeting did not match the message he conveyed through Alan West Kharkongor that Sohra Civil Sub-Division would be declared as a full-fledged District. It was merely an assurance perhaps since the Assembly Election is at hand,” Syiemlieh said while adding “Since there were misleading rumours on this issue, the SDDF hereby clarifies to all that till date Sohra Civil Sub-Division has not been upgraded into a District.”

Further, the Chairman said that the Forum will continue to pursue this issue till it becomes a reality.

“The Forum also advises certain political parties to stop misleading the people of Sohra area on this issue for their own electoral and political advantage,” he added.