Tura, July 27: Over half the district in West Garo Hills, barring Tura, is facing closure for two days early next week in a standoff between the Garo Students’ Union and the Meghalaya government over the latter’s refusal to remove a block development officer accused of corruption.

The Garo Students’ Union and its allies have announced a dawn-to-dusk closure of the entire Dadenggre civil subdivision on Tuesday and Wednesday to put pressure on the state government to remove Selsella BDO and retain a school education lady officer who has been transferred to Khasi Hills.

“We will hold a non-cooperation movement from 5am to 5pm on Tuesday and Wednesday to pressure the government to meet our demands. We want the tainted Selsella BDO removed and action against him for tearing our protest posters,” said GSU regional president Rupa Marak while speaking to The Telegraph on Saturday evening.

The upcoming protest closure is expected to have a severe impact on major towns of the subdivision and the main National Highway 51, which connects Tura to Paikan in Assam. The students’ union has threatened to close down important trading towns — Phulbari, Rajabala, Tikrikilla, Selsella block, Dadenggre and Jengjal — along the important Tura-Shillong highway.

The closure might result in a traffic halt along National Highway 51 on both days.

The students’ union and its allies, including the Mothers’ Union from Selsella have demanded that present BDO D. Roy be replaced by former Meghalaya civil service officer Albert G. Momin. They are also seeking Roy’s arrest for allegedly tearing up protest posters put up against him in Selsella earlier this week.

The GSU also demanded that a sub-divisional school education officer, I.G. Momin, who has been transferred to Mairang in Khasi Hills, be retained in Dadenggre.