Meghalaya State BJP waiting for central nod to new executive members

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Nov 9: BJP leader and cabinet minister AL Hek has informed that the list of the new state executive members is awaiting the approval of the central leadership.

“This morning I spoke to the newly elected president Rikman G Momin, who is on the way to Delhi with a list for the approval of the central leaders. After getting the approval, they will publish the names of the new state executive members of the party,” Hek told reporters.

On the party’s preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Hek said that his name is among the three ticket aspirants for the Shillong parliamentary seat.

“However, I don’t know who the other two names are. So we will see who from the three names will be the best choice for contesting from Shillong parliamentary seat,” he said while adding “Among the three, whoever will be chosen, we will have to work hard and ensure win in this upcoming Lok Sabha election.”

On TMC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma joining the BJP, Hek however said the door of the BJP is not only open to TMC but also to all political parties.

“Mukul Sangma can join at any time he wants. I welcome him anytime but we have not discussed so how will I know if he is joining or not. But for us the door is open to anybody who wants to come to the BJP,” he said.

Hek also said that he has no idea on whether Mukul Sangma is in touch or not with the BJP central leadership.

Meghalaya Covid funds misunderstood as missing not spent, informs Health Min Ampareen Lyngdoh

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 27: Minister in charge of Health & Family Welfare Ampareen Lyngdoh has said the amount relating to the Covid funds which have been misunderstood as missing has not been spent and will be released based on the physical progress of the sanctioned works.

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She was replying to a zero-hour notice moved by VPP legislator from North Shillong Adelbert Nongrum on an RTI filed by one Disparsing Rani which alleged misappropriation of Rs 43 crore sanctioned for tackling the Covid pandemic in the state.

Lyngdoh informed that during the Covid pandemic period, the Union of India through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had come up with an Emergency Covid Response Package to support the efforts of the State in its efforts towards fighting Covid.

The package was accorded to Meghalaya in two phases viz ECRP Phase I and ECRP Phase II. This was funded through the National Health Mission.

She said that ECRO Phase-I is 100 per cent Centrally funded whereas ECRP-II encapsulates a 90:10 funding pattern between central and state governments respectively. ECRP-I was for the year 2020-21 and ECRP-II was during 2021-22.

The Minister clarified that the question asked in the assembly last time i,e Autumn Session of 2022 was the total “amount spent” by the central and state respectively. Thus, the answer that was given mentioned Rs 76.56 crores in the Assembly.

She also pointed out that the RTI filed to Union Ministry has asked for the “amount sanctioned” for which the reply is given as on January 20, 2023, was Rs 104.12 crore

“I would like to mention that the amount mentioned in the RTI is correct, however, the reply given during the then autumn session was about the money that was spent already,” Lyngdoh said.

She said various works sanctioned under ECRP-II are long-term works, the works of which are going on. Moreover, the sanction for one major component of the package i.e Critical Care Block amounting to Rs 21.38 crore was given much later than that of the other components. The work has just begun for that and no financial progress has been made so far.

“Therefore, the amount that has been misunderstood as missing has not been spent and shall be released based on the physical progress of the sanctioned works,” Lyngdoh added.

‘Centre should send Governors who can speak the language’ says Meghalaya Cabinet Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 20: NPP leader and cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh today asserted the need for the Centre to take note that they should send Governors who can speak the language that is spoken by the people of the state.

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On the opposition VPP’s decision to walk out in protest against the Governor for addressing the House in Hindi, Ampareen said she was happy that the issue was highlighted once again.

In 2018, Ampareen herself had staged a walkout as a mark of protest against the then Governor Ganga Prasad for delivering his address in Hindi.

“We need to ensure that the Government of India knows the people of Meghalaya do not understand Hindi. In fact, we were having some difficulty following the language that was spoken even though the written speech was given to us,” she said while adding “This is important that we consistently inform and highlight to the government of India that we are a non-Hindi speaking community.”

The East Shillong legislator said, “I respect the fact that the opposition raised the matter, that’s it. You don’t have to support or not support.”

She also said that speaking in a specific language is not a matter of the cabinet when responding to a query as to why she did not raise an objection on the issue in the cabinet.

“This is something which we anticipated will happen, not necessary that it was discussed in the cabinet but there is a language barrier, the governor cannot speak any other language but Hindi and what was done was done,” she said.

Stating that roles changed, the cabinet minister said, “Just because Ampareen has gone to the government but that does not mean the opposition shall not highlight it. We must be grateful that it was highlighted despite the fact that our roles in the government change and it is not unusual for the roles in government to change. It is not as if I am in government so I should also rise, I have to maintain protocol but I am happy that it was again highlighted. The Government of India should take note and they should send Governors who would preferably speak the language that is spoken by the people.”

She, however, maintained that speaking more than that will be irrelevant at this point of time and said, “As of today the governor could not speak any other language and the opposition correctly raised it. Leave it at that. At this point of time, we speak of nothing more than that.”

“My role here is very simple. I am a minister in this government because of the procedures of governance I am unable to speak but that does not mean that it is a point that should not have been raised,” she added.

Meghalaya: Ampareen Lyngdoh stresses on need for regular evaluation of depts.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 14: Cabinet Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh has reviewed the functioning of her departments – health & agriculture – and asserted the need for regular evaluation of their performances.

“I would like to see that the department evaluate themselves regularly,” Lyngdoh told reporters.

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Stating that there would be a hundred-day plan in both the departments, she said, “I will work with the departments and we will constantly find a way out to be in touch with the head of the state because if that intervention which is lacking is not attended to then I think we will have the sense of defeat and we have to get pass this feeling of hopelessness in our service to the public. I will try my best to be there as well to make sure that I am able to do that.”

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Asserting that governance is not all about those in government, the East Shillong legislator said, “I think we need to give every MLA in the state of Meghalaya equal opportunity to present their versions of what our weaknesses, our challenges and our strengths are.”

“I would like to see that we work together as a team because Meghalaya will only shine if every individual elected to the House is given that opportunity to express how best we can turn around our system,” she added.

Referring to the health and the agriculture sector as two very big departments, the lone woman cabinet minister said, “I am also happy to know that we have now segregated a few missions whether it is with Agriculture or with the health department. Now we need to make sure that the missions we have embarked on actually materialize and start yielding the necessary results.”

“So I hope that we are able to do justice to all of these. I have also seen that technological interventions are a major component both in the health as well as in the agriculture department. They have tried to segregate each of these departments. They have given me the ideas of where are the areas of funding and which are the areas that need to be further improved,” she added.

Giving a quick review of the health department, Lyngdoh said that as a minister she has noticed that if there is anything that needs to work in the state, it has to be a participatory attempt by the government agencies as well as private players and the people and the entire unique system that we have in the state.

“I have made one major observation in the health department. The first thing is that finally we are now at that stage where we believe if health has to be understood we have to first involve grassroot participation. That was good thing I saw where we now are going to be involving the people in implementation of various health schemes in the state of Meghalaya,” she said while asserting that “We will never be able to address the entire problems of infant mortality or maternal mortality rate if we do not have people participating in it.”

She further emphasized the need to evaluate all health schemes being provided to the people and to also be understood by the recipients of such schemes.

“In the health department, we have seen that systems need to be installed. Now we are looking at the last mile approach which is again very good,” she added.

Also stating that the agriculture department has its own set of challenges, Lyngdoh said, “We now need to make sure that marketing is at centre stage in agriculture. That having been understood, we need to take it forward.”

“We now understand that organic farming is to a larger extent practiced in the state of Meghalaya. I have been briefed that we have some challenges there as well because our farmers are not used to this kind of an approach.”

She also commented on the cooperative movements and self-help groups in the agriculture department and said these are all people motivated oriented programmes.

She further stressed the need to make sure that auditing of all the funds in the two departments should be done by the people for the people.

Lyngdoh also stated that bureaucracy in the state has realized that people are important because it was quite distant five years ago.

“This is again going to be good for us and the state of Meghalaya and I am going to ensure that this good model is actually carried out in letter and spirit. This is one thing that I have seen in both the agriculture as well as in the health department,” she underscored.

Speaking about the upcoming Assembly’s budget session which will commence from March 20, Lyngdoh said, “I will again look at all of this once we pass the first Assembly. Budgeting is something which I am exposed to both in the health as well as in the agriculture department. I will not be able to comment much on whether or not the budgeting that we are going to receive will be sufficient to overcome all of these challenges that we have seen in the various departments.

Of course, we are depending to a large extent on central funding. So like every other department in the state of Meghalaya central funding is the dominating source of funds so I will have to look at all of this to see how best we can go ahead and make sure that we start performing both in the health as well as in the agriculture department.”

Meghalaya Cabinet approves Bill to repeal Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 9: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance – 2.0 government in its first cabinet sitting today approved the Bill to repeal the much opposed Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 in the Assembly’s budget session, which will commence from March 20.

Three spokespersons of the government – Ampareen Lyngdoh, Paul Lyngdoh and Marcuise N Marak – were also appointed during the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma at the Meghalaya Secretariat.

All cabinet ministers attended the meeting but they are yet to be allotted portfolios.

“As you are aware we have passed an ordinance to repeal the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021. Today, as the session is on we, are going to put it in the form of a Bill (so that) the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act will be repealed,” Sangma told reporters.

The Chief Minister said the ordinance was passed when the session is not on to enforce a particular act. “The ordinance was cleared earlier but now that the session is on this is the correct platform now to regularize the repealing of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021.”

The decision was taken after stiff opposition was registered from several quarters of society including church leaders and NGOs.

Sangma also informed that the cabinet has also approved the Contingency Fund of Meghalaya (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

He further announced the cabinet’s decision to appoint three official spokespersons of the government and said, “Apart from myself and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong, we have decided that Ampareen Lyngdoh, Paul Lyngdoh and Marcuise Marak – will be the official spokesperson of the Cabinet.”

The Chief Minister said a full budget will be passed in the coming budget session adding that the business advisory committee (BAC) will meet on Monday to finalize the dates.

“It is healthy (to pass the budget before March 31). It is good to do it as we can start the work and process quickly as now if we go only for a vote on the account then it will be only for the first quarter and then we will have to meet again and so the full budget picture does not come. The team has been working in the last many months to complete the budget exercise which started a long time back even before the elections were announced. Therefore, the finance department is ready with a full budget,” he added.

Ampareen urges political parties to take state forward

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 7: The newly sworn-in cabinet minister of the National People’s Party Ampareen Lyngdoh today called upon all political parties to unanimously decide to take the state forward.

After the swearing-in ceremony, Lyngdoh asserted the need to ensure that post-election stability is once again brought about as she was referring to the fragmented mandate in the Khasi Hills as ‘worrisome’.

“I think now across the board all political parties should unanimously decide to take the state forward,” she told reporters.

Lyngdoh, who is the lone woman in the Conrad K Sangma ministry, added: “We cannot afford to slow down development and progress in the state of Meghalaya and in the interest of the people and the state of Meghalaya we must all work towards a common goal.”

“Yes, we may have differences of opinions but these opinions should not be at the cost of the progress of the state of Meghalaya,” she further stated.

Stating that she is looking forward to being party to this rejuvenation of the NPP and coalition partners of the MDA-2, Lyngdoh said, “We need to make sure all the issues are addressed. We must make sure that this image that the NPP has in the minds of the people should be immediately erased. We have to start pulling our socks”.

The East Shillong legislator said, “In my personal opinion though I am not aware yet of the assignments to be given to me and departments to be handed over to me but I can assure one thing that we need to make sure that issues that have been flagged for so long by the people of the state of Meghalaya should be addressed one after the other.”

Meanwhile, Lyngdoh also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for gracing the occasion and said that his interest in Meghalaya is genuine.

“Meghalaya is not sans India. We are part of this nation and I am so delighted and honoured to have been on the same stage with the Prime Minister of this nation because we have to march together forward with the entire country. You cannot expect any criticism of this humility displayed by the Prime Minister of this nation. He is already aware of the complex mandate of the people of the state of Meghalaya but yet he made time and he made himself available which means that his interest for the state of Meghalaya is genuine. That is important and people should not deviate from that fact,” she added.