State got Rs 135.08 crore under PMKKKY

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 19: An amount of Rs 135.08 crore has been received by the State government under the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) since implementation till date, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma informed the Assembly today.

Replying to a query raised by UDP legislator from Shella Balajied K Synrem on the issue, Sangma said Rs 9,67 crore was received under the scheme for the year 2022-2023.

He said that the schemes implemented under the PMKKKY in the Sohra area include the improvement of water supply of the circuit house, Sohra civil sub-division to take up a new pumping water supply scheme from a nearby spring source known as Um Them Circuit amounting to Rs 21,80,600 and construction of rainwater harvesting for circuit house, Sohra civil sub-division amounting to Rs 31,65,000.

On the issue related to the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund, Synrem sought to know whether mining-affected area are taken up as a primary concern while utilizing the fund.

To this, the chief minister said that as per guidelines, the identification of affected areas has to be looked into.

“As the name suggests this is a district mining fund, this is basically a trust which is then taken up at the level of the district and the deputy commissioner is the chairman for screening and sanctioning of projects and the state government does not interfere in the process of such selection and sanctioning of funds,” he added.

Synrem further raised concern over the non-inclusion of MLAs as members of the DMF despite of being more aware of the schemes that are required to be implemented in the district.

Sangma in his reply informed that a new notification has been issued by the government on August 22, 2022, where MPs and MLAs of the district are also made members of the DMF. He also assured to again remind the district administration on the need to implement the said notification in letter and spirit.

Meanwhile, the chief minister has also assured that the State government will come up with an annual report on the utilization of the funds.

This assurance was made based on the request made by the opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma, who had stressed the need to ensure transparency in the utilization of said funds.

NHRC seeks info on de-addiction centres

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to chief secretaries of all the States and Union Territories (UTs) and the Secretary, Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment seeking a report on the de-addiction centres.

The NHRC wanted to know how many de-addiction centres are presently available with the Government Sector, can private entities be allowed to set up de-addiction centres, are there any rules or regulations framed under the NDPS Act to regulate the de-addiction centres as mandated in Section 71 of NDPS Act.

It also asked as to what is the mechanism for providing training to the persons employed in such de-addiction centres; and to specify the mechanisms to regulate private de-addiction centres including charges/fees, employment of staff, counsellor, medical staff, food supplied and overall upkeep of such rehabilitation centres.

This came after the NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report of yet another death of an inmate at a private drug de-addiction centre, which is the third such incident in the recent past.

Reportedly, a 24-year-old man was beaten to death by the people running a De-addiction Centre in Chandramani area of Dehradoon, Uttarakhand on 10th April, 2023.

Prior to this, the Commission had taken suo motu cognizance of two similar incidents at De-addiction Centres in NOIDA and Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and the reports have been sought.

The Commission has observed that all three rehabilitation centres, two in UP and one in Uttarakhand were being run by private entities. It needs serious consideration as to whether the De-addiction Centres can be allowed to be operated by private entities, and if it is so, whether State(s) have ensured sufficient safety measures in place to protect the interest of the inmates with a view to achieving the desired goal.

Notices have also been issued to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttarakhand calling for a detailed report in the instant case of the death of an inmate at Dehradoon Rehab Centre.

The reports should include the present status of the investigation of the case and compensation and relief, if any, provided to the Next of kin of the deceased.

According to the media report, carried on 13th April, 2023, the patients of the Dehradoon De-addiction Centre, have said that their beatings were frequent and routine, as were hunger and lack of hygiene. No doctor or counsellor ever visited the centre.

Meghalaya Assembly Speaker wants approval of new dome design expedited

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 13: Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma has asked the Public Works Department (Building) to speed up getting the approval of the new design for the dome of the new Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang.

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“I have already instructed and requested the PWD (Building) to expedite approval of the new design without which the work cannot start,” Sangma told reporters after conducting an inspection to the construction site today.

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Stating that the progress of work is satisfactory, the Speaker however said, “The middle portion which is the main chamber –where the dome had collapsed – that part is still not started, otherwise the left wing and the right wing (of the new Assembly building) are almost completed.”

“80 percent of the works are already completed but we can’t have an Assembly without the main chamber. There is a new design of the dome which has to be vetted and approved by two Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) – IIT Roorkee and IIT Guwahati. So we are waiting for their approval of the new design,” he said.

Sangma also informed that he is also in the process of reconstituting the High Powered Committee (HPC).

The dome of the under-construction new building of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly had collapsed on May 22, last year.

When asked, the Speaker said the implementing agencies have been asked to remove debris (caused by the dome collapsed) by April 15.

“That was the only deadline we have set today because without which the work cannot start and without the approval of the new design work cannot start. Only when the work starts then we can set a timeline (for completion of the new Assembly building),” he added.

On the allegations of corruption in the construction of the new Assembly, the Speaker said, “Such allegations of corruption have not come to his notice. If there is any I can assure you that my office will be very transparent in this regard and we will try our best not to have any kind of allegation…we will try to be transparent as much as possible.”

He assured by saying, “I would look into this but just based on somebody (allegation) or without any written complaint or without any proof or evidence, I cannot just go about kind of taking unnecessary things out in the open. I will certainly look into it but as I told you earlier it has not come to my notice yet but if it comes if I feel that there is some kind of misconduct or something unusual I will certainly look into it.”

Admitting that the Assembly has been functioning from a temporary building for several years, the Speaker said that he would like to see the new building of the Assembly completed during his time.

“I feel that I should be able to step into that new Assembly during my time. I don’t know there are so many things. This is the only first phase. There will be a second phase which will include the staff quarters, the minister’s quarters, speaker’s residential quarter, MLA hostels, hospital, school,” he said while informing that they have decided to push the government to also start the second phase simultaneously side by side.