Opposition Congress legislator Dr Celestine flays Meghalaya govt over illegal coal trucks

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 21: Opposition Congress legislator from Umsning Dr Celestine Lyngdoh questioned the failure of the state police to detect illegal coal trucks.

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“If our police are so efficient in detecting small amounts of drugs I fail to understand why they fail to detect a 16-wheeler truck (carrying illegal coal),” Lyngdoh told the Assembly.

“Can we ask do the police want to be selective (as in which area they want to be efficient)? If they are efficient in every area they are posted, I still fail to understand why big trucks cannot be detected?” he said.

Lyngdoh also sought to know the revenue collected from coal during the last year and said, “I urge the government to start scientific mining of coal in the interest of the state.”

Stating that he is not against the coal merchants, the Congress leader said, “I salute them. At a time when the state is facing a lot of employment issues, we are happy that certain groups of people managed to do some mining activities and provide some sort of employment but then the question has to be answered can we continue this, can we allow a group of people do illegal business at the cost of the state?”

Citing that his constituency is located along the national highway, Lyngdoh said, “If the government say there is no illegal mining it will be very difficult for me and my people to say there is no transportation of coal as we see it every day. But the question is how many of those trucks are illegal and how many are legal.”

With regards to the border issue, Lyngdoh said there are six more remaining areas of difference.

He said that much has been learned from the first phase of border talks while alleging that the government had given a fish pond at Maikhuli which was never an area of difference, to Assam.

Lyngdoh sad, therefore, the government should exchange only areas of difference but not to land which are never under dispute.

Meanwhile, the Congress leader urged the Speaker not to allow such incidents as yesterday to take place in the House where four legislators of the VPP had to stage of a walkout in protest against the Governor for addressing in Hindi.

“Since the BJP is in the union government, I request through you that when they appoint a governor, he should have a working knowledge of English when posted in Meghalaya,” he added.

Meghalaya Cabinet Minister A.L Hek discusses State development at Delhi

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 15: BJP leader and Cabinet Minister Alexander Laloo Hek met Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology of India Jitendra Singh at his residence and discussed the all-round development of the state of Meghalaya.

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Hek also met Union Minister of Tourism and DONER Kishan Reddy at his office chamber in New Delhi and discussed the need to promote the eco-tourism cum fish sanctuary in Meghalaya and also to promote model rural tourism village cluster development which will create employment and will attract tourism in the rural areas at the village level and also to promote health tourism through traditional Medicines

Meanwhile, Hek also met the BJP national general secretary (organization) BL Santosh and discussed the party organization in Meghalaya and also preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Meghalaya Minister AL Hek asserts top priority to make state self-sufficient in meat production

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 11: Minister in charge of animal husbandry and veterinary A.L Hek asserted his top priority is to make Meghalaya self-sufficient in meat production.

Speaking to media persons, Hek said that the majority of the population in Meghalaya consumes meat but everyone knows there is a huge gap between supply and demand hence there is a need to come out with ways and means to make the state self-sufficient in meat production.

Hek informed that after he was appointed as minister in charge of animal husbandry and veterinary he immediately called for an informal meeting with senior officers of the department to understand the organizational structure of the department.

“In order to make Meghalaya self-sufficient in meat production, the department will need to come out with various interventions whether it is for production of pork, beef, chicken or mutton,” said Hek.

Hek said that since he is new in the department he has not yet reviewed on the implementation of the Piggery Mission but soon he will seek information from the officers to get more knowledge on how the mission works so that the state becomes self-sufficient.

He added that he does not want to comment much on the alleged cattle smuggling as he doesn’t know about the modus operandi of the cattle smuggling but he will have an in-depth discussion with all officers on the particular issue.

Hek, Shullai to share cabinet berth

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 7: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided that the cabinet berth will be shared between the two of its MLAs – Alexander Laloo Hek and Sanbor Shullai.

The decision came a day before Hek was sworn in as cabinet minister in the Conrad K Sangma-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA-2) government.

In a letter to the NPP Chief, the BJP state president Ernest Mawrie said, “The party and its MLAs have symbiotically agreed to allow AL Hek to hold the berth for the first two and a half years which will end on August 7, 2025, following which Sanbor Shullai will hold the cabinet berth for the remaining term. Both the MLAs are hereby asked to respect and abide by the decision of the party and work mutually to ensure good governance and also to ensure check and balance.”

“Thus, I request your esteemed office to kindly honour the decision of the party and ensure both the MLAs get equal opportunity considering their seniority and support to your government,” he added.

BJP Meghalaya In-charge Dr M Chuba Ao along with Hek and Shullai were also signatories of the letter submitted to the NPP chief.

After attending the swearing-in ceremony of the 12-member council of ministers, Shullai told reporters that this time an official agreement to share the cabinet berth between the two MLAs was made in the presence of the party leaders unlike in the last term which was only a “verbal agreement”.

“Besides the chief minister, the letter was also sent to the BJP national president JP Nadda and general secretary Rituraj Sinha,” he said.

Shullai said he does not have any problem waiting for his turn to take over as cabinet minister after 2 and a half years.

On his role in the government, the former cabinet minister said, “It will depend on the prerogative of the chief minister. I will accept anything for the interest of the people of my constituency.”