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.

The two legislators of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) are likely to merge with the National People’s Party (NPP) ahead of the adjourned poll to the Sohiong Assembly seat.

PDF working president and Mawkynrew legislator Banteidor Lyngdoh did not deny the rumour and said that they will discuss the issue at the right time and that there is nothing to write about.

He however admitted that talks are there to merge with the NPP. “Talks are there to merge with the NPP and we will take a call at the right time and let you know,” Lyngdoh said.

The PDF has two MLAs – Lyngdoh and PDF president Gavin M Mylliem, who is also Sohra legislator – in the current 59-member House.

Lyngdoh said he cannot say anything further as decisions will not be taken by him alone.

Meanwhile, two legislators of the Hill State People Democratic Party (HSPDP) – Shakliar Warjri (Mawthadraishan) and Methodius Dkhar (Mawshynrut) – have completely denied that there is any move to merge with the ruling NPP.

“There is no such move to merge with the NPP,” Shakliar maintained.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) has urged the Centre to discourage radical elements who are trying to vitiate the atmosphere of hatred and animosity.

“We urged upon the Govt of the day to come up with strong measures to discourage radical elements to vitiate the atmosphere of hatred and animosity. Respect towards all religions should be maintained at all cost” UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said in a statement.

He said the party expressed apprehension over the news item that two prominent church leaders from the state were being manhandled. “If the report is true, then it should be condemned strongly. India being a secular country, any form of discrimination and atrocities perpetrated by radical elements of any religious groups should not be tolerated,” Mawthoh added.

The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has sought Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s intervention in convening the special session of the State Assembly to allow members to discuss and debate on the need to review the state reservation policy.

In a letter submitted to Sangma, VPP general secretary Dr Ricky AJ Syngkon said, “We request you as the Head of the Government to take initiative in convening a special session of the State Assembly in order to allow members to discuss and debate on the need to review the present reservation policy.”

He said the vexed and pertinent issue on the roster system and the state job reservation policy that is indeed a serious and grave matter of concern across the state that warrants a serious debate, discussion and resolution.

Furthermore, Dr Syngkon said that the Bench of the High Court in its order on PIL dated April 3, has categorically stated, “These are policy matters that are best left to the legislature and the executive and upon a firm stand being taken, it will be open to any citizen affected thereby to question the propriety thereof in accordance with the law.”

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 5: Former Mylliem MLA and former Cabinet Minister Hamletson Dohling has been appointed as adviser to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.

This was informed by the Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

ALSO READ: KSU for prospective implementation of roster system

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 10: Director General of Police LR Bishnoi today said the police have arrested 234 drug peddlers and drug users in 2022 and seized drugs worth over Rs 50 crore from them surpassing the state’s collective records of the past 50 years.

ALSO READ: Drug users increasing in Shillong says DGP; 5 caught red handed with heroin in Mawprem

The police seized over 7 kg of heroin worth over Rs 45.22 crore and over 27,000 bottles of cough syrup worth over Rs 1.38 crore last year, he said.

“We have arrested 234 drug peddlers and drug users which include 20 women last year and seized drugs worth over Rs 50 crore,” Bishnoi said.

The drugs seized include over 7 kg of heroin worth over Rs 45.22 crore and over 27,000 bottles of cough syrup worth over Rs 1.38 crore last year besides other items like ganja (nearly 4 tonnes), opium (over 600 gm), methamphetamine tablets (over 12,800 tablets), he said.

ALSO READ: Drug seizures 20 times higher than previous years, says Meghalaya CEO

The DGP said that the recovery in 2022 has surpassed the recorded seizure of the past 50 years in this hill state and 116 cases were registered.

He also said that there is an upward trend of arrest, seizure and registration of drugs related cases this year too.

“In the first 70 days, 80 people were arrested and heroin seized was over 3 kg, ganja seized was 140 kg, 60,000 tablets, 22,000 bottles of cough syrups and Rs 28 lakh cash,” he said.

The DGP informed that 25 per cent of the arrests made were of traffickers from other states which include Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur besides Punjab, Bihar and Bengal.

Repenting that many of the jailed drug peddlers and users got bail, Bishnoi said that delay in getting reports from the Forensic Laboratories resulted in their securing bail from the courts.

He also informed that the police department has formed a supervisory committee headed by SP (CID) to monitor drug-related cases to ensure speedy submission of chargesheets and cases do not fail.