Shillong, June 25: The Meghalaya cabinet today made two major decisions —one to conduct the civic polls in Garo Hills and the other to roll out buses procured under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) on Shillong streets.

After the cabinet meeting held this evening, chief minister Mukul Sangma and urban and municipal affairs minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said they were committed to follow the recent order of the court to conduct elections by September.

After the All Garo Hills Civic Poll Candidates Forum filed a case, the Shillong bench of Gauhati High Court recently ordered the ward commissioners of the municipal boards in Williamnagar and Resubelpara in East Garo Hills, Tura in West Garo Hills and Baghmara in South Garo Hills to hold elections.

Justice B.K. Sharma, in his order on May 31, in response to the petition filed by the forum, had asked the urban affairs department to speed up the formalities in holding elections within September 30 without further delay.

The Meghalaya government had tried to conduct the elections on October 29 last year, but in vain as people of Garo Hills objected to this.

The government was forced to suspend the elections in the entire Garo hills after the law and order situation turned worse.

The traditional institutions and NGOs in Garo hills have been opposing the elections by saying that once the ward commissioners are appointed, the powers and functions of the traditional bodies, including the headmen, will lessen.

The urban affairs minister said the elections would be held in a phased manner and the draft for electoral rolls for Baghmara published on June 27.

Sangma also ruled out any talks at this juncture with the traditional institutions or NGOs opposing the elections.

The commissioning of the buses procured under JNNURM was the other point on the cabinet’s agenda.

The cabinet has given its nod to roll out the buses at the earliest.

Ampareen said both the urban affairs and the transport departments will co-ordinate so that the buses can be launched at the earliest.

On June 20, goons stole five rear-view mirrors from JNNURM buses, valued around Rs 5,000.