Work orders under PMAY distributed at Mawlyndep

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 14: Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma today distributed Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY) work orders to beneficiaries of Mawlyndep Village, Umsning C&RD Block, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY-II).

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said that development should reach every corner of the state. “Unless development does not touch the lives of the people of the state in all regions development is incomplete,” he said.

He further said that the government has tried to be as broad as possible and has come up with micro and macro programs at different levels to bring inclusive development to the people of the state.

“The PMAY program of today is another step forward in achieving inclusive development and it is the aim of the government to achieve saturation in certain social sectors in the next few years,” he added.

The Chief Minister further elaborated on the target of the government in five main sectors like Housing for all, Power connectivity for all, connectivity and accessibility to all villages, water connection for all and mobile connectivity.

He also informed that about 1,30,000 houses amounting to approximately 1700 crores will be sanctioned and constructed this financial year to ensure that a maximum number of people are benefitted. He also urged the beneficiaries to use the money sanctioned for which it is sanctioned.

“The Rangbah Shnongs, the BDOs, the Project Directors need to sensitive to the public and the beneficiaries to use the money for what the purpose it is sanctioned,” he said.

He also highlighted some of the projects in the pipeline for Mawlyndep and adjoining areas. In total 97 beneficiaries from Mawlyndep village received work orders.

Also present were, Dr W Kharlukhi, MP, Rajya Sabha, MLA Umsning, C Lyngdoh, MDC, Umsning, Macdalyne Sawkmie and senior officials from the district administration.

AIM against gambling in melas

The Awakening Indian Movement (AIM) has sought the intervention of the deputy commissioner of East Khasi Hills district to ensure a blanket ban on gambling at melas being organized by different agencies.

Speaking to media persons, chairman of AIM Bansharai Marbaniang said that many people from other part of the country come to Meghalaya to host various kinds of melas, however these melas have games that encourage gambling with money which is detrimental and have a negative impact on the welfare of the people.

Marbaniang alleged that melas throughout the country are being held in order to provide entertainment to all citizens where they can experience happiness especially for children, students, and youth but at present melas in Meghalaya are being held with gambling which have detrimental and a negative impact on the welfare of the people.

“During our visit to the mela held at the Parking Lot outside Polo Ground in Shillong, the mela hosted various gambling activities with money and young people and students in uniform participated in various gambling games” said Marbaniang.

Marbaniang said that AIM is not against organizing melas in the state, however it stands against the act of gambling that is being held at the venues hence the AIM sought the intervention into this matter.

George flags danger of wrong call on reservation policy

State vice president of the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and former Umroi legislator George Lyngdoh has warned that any wrong step taken in regards to the state reservation policy would bring misunderstanding among the three major tribes – Khasi, Jaintia and Garo.

Lyngdoh said the state reservation policy is a very sensitive issue considering the fact that it relates to the aspirations and the future of the youth.

“Therefore, any wrong step in this direction being a sensitive matter would bring a different kind of emotions and misunderstanding that would be detrimental to the long historic bond and understanding between the various communities in the state, the major tribes,” he said.

“Therefore, the policymakers and the leaders have to take into consideration, the sentiments, emotions and historic aspects as well as also the need to maintain the communal peace and harmony amongst the three tribes. It should not come with any kind of thing that would only disrupt peace and harmony at the cost of the future of the youth. Any policy has to bring harmony and also equity,” the ex-MLA added.

On the implementation of the roster system, Lyngdoh questioned the state government’s decision to implement the roster system with a retrospective effect.

According to him, the court’s ruling was unclear and the order of the court has to be interpreted by the state government and in its interpretation, the state government took decision with a retrospective effect.

He said that the state government has to make the people understand why in the first place a retrospective effect was taken into consideration and not a prospective one.

When asked the court had clearly stated that these are policy matters best left to the legislature and the executive, the AITC leader said, “So the question is whether the state government hurriedly rush into the implementation of the roster without understanding the full implication of the court order. So whether that urgency was actually needed before the full understanding of the court order was actually imbibed by the policymakers and both at the executive level and also at the legislative level. So whether this actual understanding of the court order was actually discussed so whether it was left to one or two to decide with a retrospective effect.”

He alleged that some of the cabinet ministers do not even understand what a roster system is and said, “What I could hear from the discussion is that even some of the policymakers, some of the ministers being in the cabinet also could not understand what a roster system is. So now they have put themselves in a spot where now they not only have to understand the roster system, they also have to understand the retrospective and prospective effect.”

On the Voice of the People Party (VPP)’s demand review of the entire policy, Lyngdoh said if any policy is in question considering both their political aspiration and also taking the aspirations of the citizens, especially the youth into consideration, they should also come with a suggestion as to what they want adding that anybody can question a policy that is in place but the fact is it is upon the responsible leaders to suggest to what should be the next step forward.

“I would say that various political parties should come up with their own suggestions as well so that it is the collective responsibility of each and every political party and leader and in fact every citizen of the state if any policy is being questioned then we should also come with solutions as to how we will finally decide on a new policy or try to change an existing policy but at the same time maintain communal harmony and equity,” he added.

Further, Lyngdoh said for any policy matter, there will be a group that will be supporting that particular policy and there will be a group that will be opposing that particular policy.

“Therefore, if amendments have to be made to a particular policy, they have to take into consideration the aspirations as well as the current situation prevailing in the state,” he asserted.

According to him, the Constitution of the country has been amended hundreds of times because it need to take the aspirations of the people considering the historic meets where and also take futuristic requirements. Therefore amendments have to be made.