Staff Reporter

Shillong, Nov 1: Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh today said that the new company will take over the 108 emergency services within two weeks’ time.

Speaking to reporters, Lyngdoh informed that the department is happy this time that 7 companies have participated in the bidding process and this has happened for the first time.

“I hope this will yield a good result in the interest of the service for the people of the state,” she said.

Lyngdoh said, “We are expecting it to complete or close by the end of today but the new company will likely take approximately a fortnight to actually roll out its services in full capacity.”

In her meeting with the 108 workers yesterday, the minister said that it was just a continuation of the commitment as a government to ensure that workers of the 108 feel convinced and confident that the government is trying its level best to ensure that the rights of 108 workers are protected.

“I had promised them in the previous meeting that once the bid was getting progressed I would brief them on what is the plan of action we have in mind to protect the interest of the 108 workers,” she added.

Lyngdoh informed that every company has been asked as part of the technical bid to present a full-fledged plan for workers of 108.

 “Things like insurance coverage, ex-gratia, health coverage, accident insurances – all of these insurances have now been promised all of the bidders who have come for this 108 bid. The bid has also mandated that we ensure a regular increment for the 108 workers, which was something which was not really taking off so that was also being discussed and 7 per cent annual increment has also been promised by all of the bidders in the technical round of the bidding,” she said.

She said that the meeting was just an interaction with the workers to assure them that “we are concerned about the future of their jobs and we have told them that few procedures have to be followed.”

The minister however said that a testing of skills of workers will obviously be there and they will be offered employment which is negotiable depending on their experience and depending on their understanding of the assignment that they are going to be engaged in.

She said that the government want to ensure that the 108 life-saving service matches the promises made.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 21: The resolution moved by the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) legislator from Nongkrem Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit demanding a stop to the gross violation of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act, 1972 was defeated by a voice vote in the Assembly today.

“The Nos have it and the resolution is lost,” Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma said.

The resolution was put to vote after Basaiawmoit announced his decision not to withdraw the resolution citing dissatisfaction with the government’s reply.

Basaiawmoit said there is a violation of the Act, but the government is in a denial mode that people not covered under the Land Transfer Act are rampantly buying land in Ri Bhoi district.

“How can they purchase land when they are not residents of Meghalaya? What will the government do against such people and stop them from purchasing land in Ri Bhoi district?” he asked.

He also asked the government to issue a public notice on the definition of tribal.

In his supplementary reply, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said there has been no violation of the Land Transfer Act. “All cases (related to) non-tribal have been based on provisions of the Act,” he maintained.

Sangma further said that any individual can go to the Court if they have concerns that there is a violation of the Act.

“(Because) we have not seen any cases put forward and those cases where the court had given orders, the government has implemented those orders,” he added.

The chief minister also assured that the government will definitely examine the suggestions made by the members on how to strengthen the Land Transfer Act further.

Earlier while moving his resolution, Basaiawmoit had sought to know ‘what action has been taken against those people who are involved in the selling away of our land to the people who are not covered by the Land Transfer Act, especially the Syiem of Raid Myrwet who have voluntarily engaged in this illegal act. Moreover, what action will be taken against those Deputy Commissioner who are willingly registering these lands which are in direct contravention to the provision of the law’.

Earlier, Minister in-charge Revenue & Disaster Management Kyrmen Shylla in his reply said that it is clear that the government while processing any case of transfer, mutation, mortgage, will etc, proceeds as per the provisions laid down in the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act 1971 (Act 1 of 1972) and the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Rules, 1974.

“As of now, no such matter of the gross violation of the Act has come to the notice of the Government,” he said while adding “I would like to impress that the intention of the government is very clear on the matter of transfer of land and that the Act and Rules are followed in letter and spirit, so as to protect the interest of the Scheduled Tribe of the State.”