Decision on SWA should be transparent
Staff Reporter
Shillong, Feb 16: Former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today asserted that the government’s decision to replace the Single Window Agency (SWA) with the Investment Meghalaya Authority (IMA) should ensure transparency and minimise the scope of any fouritism and corruption while considering investment proposals in the state.
Speaking to media persons, Sangma said that the idea has to be to attract investments by ensuring the whole process of investments or the usual hurdles that confronted the prospective investors are completely minimized.
“That is the mantra because investors have options all over the country and all over the world post globalization so the idea of ease of doing business has to be the main purpose, main objective in as far as putting all the format for processing of any proposals for investments are concerned and ensure transparency and minimise the scope of any favouritism and corruption,” he added.
TMC to announce candidate for LS polls soon
Staff Reporter
Shillong, Feb 16: The opposition All India Trinamool Congress has decided to soon announce its candidate from the Tura parliamentary seat for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“I think by tomorrow or latest by Monday, we will be declaring the candidate for Tura,” TMC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma told reporters today.
He however said the party is still talking as far as the Shillong seat is concerned.
Sangma said, “We have been engaging in this dialogue within the four walls though as far as the INDIA Bloc is concerned. It has taken its own time but then subsequently, you have seen how things have unfolded and therefore, most of the constituent parties in the INDIA Bloc have decided to go solo and then put up their own candidates.”
“So in as far as Meghalaya is concerned, we waited patiently and indications were that negotiations were still on but it appears that it may not come to fruition so therefore, we have two seats, the only decision is whether to fight both the seats or not. But then from our side, we have always maintained that we would like to fight one seat and let the other be fought by the other parties and let there be some effort to put that collective endeavour since we share the common objective of taking on the current dispensation but then things will be finalised in a couple of days,” he added.
Further, Sangma said that he does not intend to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha poll.
“I don’t want to reduce the number in the House of 60 in as far as the Assembly is concerned.
I am for state politics. It is a small state though but then issues confronting the people, confronting the state require collective endeavour of all concerns. Therefore, I started my innings with the sole intention of focusing on state politics in 1993 and I continue to do so,” he said.
Govt working on scientific coal mining
Staff Reporter
Shillong, Feb 16: Meghalaya Govenor Phagu Chauhan today said that the government is taking steps to ensure scientific mining of coal.
Delivering his address in the first day of the Assembly’s budget session, Chauhan said the Ministry of Coal, Government of India has approved 17 applications for grant of prospecting license.
Out of 17 applications, 6 applicants have submitted their geological report to the Central government and have obtained approval.
He said, the mining plan in respect of 4 applicants has been approved by the Ministry of Coal and is awaiting environment clearance.
“With these developments, it is expected that scientific mining of coal will begin soon,” the Governor added.
Govt open for talks with HNLC
Staff Reporter
Shillong, Feb 16: Governor Phagu Chauhan today said the government once again reiterates that it is open to talks with the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) within the Indian’s constitutional framework and in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Addressing the first day of the Assembly’s budget session, Chauhan said that the Government is committed to bring lasting peace to the state.
“It is mportant to secure peace for ensuring prosperity of the citizens,” he said while adding that the overall law and order in the State was peaceful during the previous year.
The governor also informed that following the signing of the historic memorandum of understanding in 2022 for six areas of difference, the process of survey has been initiated to demarcate the interstate boundary.
The Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya met again in May 2023 to initiate the process of resolving the dispute in the remaining six years of difference.
The Regional Committees have conducted meetings with their Assam counterparts and the process for resolution of the remaining six areas is on track, he said.
Further, Chauhan also informed that the Home (Police) department has augmented the district level police infrastructure and police housing. The Fire Emergency Services are being strengthened on priority.
He said that the long pending recruitment to 1,010 vacant posts were completed last year thereby augmenting the police force. Over 3,000 vacancies in various ranks of the Meghalaya Police will also be filled up in a timebound manner, he added.
Need for Lokayukta to work fully: Mukul
Staff Reporter
Shillong, Feb 16: Former chief minister Mukul Sangma today emphasized the need to allow the Meghalaya Lokayukta to function to its full potentiality.
“What is the purpose of Lokayukta? The whole state wanted at least something that will act as deterrence. Therefore, allow it to function to its full potentiality. Let everybody at least realises the existence of a deterrence,” Sangma told reporters.
“Now if it doesn’t perform, who will fear the law? Therefore, fear for law is crucial and the enactment of law is precisely for that purpose. It will ensure there is ultimate end result of enabling people to self regulate. When there is fear for law people will all be self regulated, when there is a fear for law, everybody including policy makers, we will all self-regulate,” he added.
On the recent removal of the three retired officials by the Lokayukta, Sangma said, “What is the intention? Intention is more important. You have to be more analytical, you have to be more investigative then you will have the answer. What is the intention? Was there any malified intention behind? Was there any reason which necessitated the government to change people?
“You know the Lokayukta is doing its job. Number of issues of corruptions has been already taken up by Lokayukta so you can understand the magnitude of responsibility and therefore, magnitude of responsibility by everybody concerned. So the sole idea and purpose of Lokayukta and various other laws which have been enacted do have the same objective,” he said.
Sangma said, “So let see how we ultimately somehow instill this sense of responsibility in as far as politicians and all those responsible elected members of this House can really connect with this sole objective of the purpose for which we are here.”