Rakkam bats for Baghmara – Assam – Bangladesh rail connection

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Nov 15: Border Area Development Minister Rakkam A Sangma has urged the government to consider a proposal for connecting Baghmara in South Garo Hills with Guwahati, Assam and Bangladesh with a railway line.

Rakkam, who is also NPP legislator from Rongara-Siju, also termed the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act and provisions of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India as the greatest protection mechanism for the indigenous people while referring to groups opposing railways in Khasi-Jaintia region apprehending influx and illegal immigration.

Speaking to reporters, the minister said there was a proposal a long time back when Captain Williamson Sangma was chief minister to connect Guwahati with Bangladesh through Baghmara with railways.

“I will also still demand to make this happen because Baghmara can be the corridor for Meghalaya and for the North East where it can be connected directly to Dhaka. The trade and employment generation will rise up and lots of our young people and economy will improve,” he said while adding “Therefore, it is my pleasure to demand to the Government of India and I will also be meeting the Chief Minister very soon as a local MLA to demand for railways to connect Guwahati to Bangladesh to Dhaka through Baghmara.”

According to him, a petition was already submitted that an integrated check gate should be set up at Baghmara so that tourists and businessmen can come in because if the railway comes, the economy of the people will improve to a great extent.

Asked if he would request the government to divert the railway project proposed for Shillong and Byrnihat to Baghmara, Rakkam said, “If it is possible, I would request the railways department, the government of India, the government of Meghalaya to connect Baghmara with Guwahati by railway.”

Having said so, to me as education minister I want to say that every year I have been attending most of the graduation and convocation ceremonies in the state where there are 18,000 to 20,000 graduates and post-graduates every year. Out of 20,000 in a year, only 1,500 – 2000 government jobs are being advertised while the rest 18,000 plus educated are unemployed.”

On the continued opposition against railways in Khasi-Jaintia regions, the minister said, “Yes, there may be issues with everybody but now we have to decide the merits and demerits. Coming of railways to Shillong or East Khasi Hills may have the negative and demerits also but the merits are also there like the connectivity, job opportunities. The people from Garo Hills are going to Dimpur to buy clothes because the cost is cheaper. Therefore, I request that our people decide after comparing the merits and demerits. Whichever is heavier (they should go with that only).”

He said people should allow railways if proper mechanisms can be installed as employment and economy is the need of the hour.

“Therefore, we need more industries, we need more railways, we need more markets, we need more institutions which will create employment for the young people. Livelihood is above all important. As a son of the state, we should find a way to make our graduates employed.”

Also stating that it is important for the government to take up the issue of influx and immigration on priority, Rakkam said granting of ILP or not is in the hands of the Government of India but the Land Transfer Act and provisions of Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India are the greatest weapons for the people of the state. He also announced that the government is also contemplating introducing the Sixth Schedule as part of the school curriculum.

“Everybody should know this. We want to introduce in our curriculum that every students must read about Sixth Schedule about the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo people, the culture, the tradition, the food, the assets, the rivers, the potential that we have…the Sixth Schedule is a complete mechanism,” he said while recalling that “Captain Sangma once stated when somebody asked a question that there are some people who wants to do away with the Sixth Schedule. Captain stated anybody who decides to do away with the Sixth Schedule he is the most useless person on the earth as the Sixth Schedule is a greatest pillar laid down by the leaders of the past specially for tribal people specially for Meghalayans.”

“Therefore, the Sixth Schedule is a greatest pillar and greated protection mechanism for all of us. Having said so, the provision of the Sixth Schedule if strengthened we got nothing to lose,” he asserted further.

Meghalaya’s Education Min seeks all MLAs’ support in repairing schools

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 15: Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma has appealed to all legislators to utilize their MLA funds for repairing dilapidated schools in their respective constituencies.

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Sangma told reporters that there will be a massive survey on schools to have all information including their condition. The survey will provide information if there may be schools under certain areas or sub-divisions or constituencies which require small intervention or small repairing work.

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The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance-I government had constructed more than 200 new lower primary schools across the state. Tenders have also been allotted for repairing certain numbers of schools.

The education minister said that he would also appeal to all MLAs of the state to shoulder this responsibility.

“I will also appeal to all the MLAs of the state to shoulder this responsibility. At least they can use their MLA fund for repairing or renovation of the schools,” he said adding “I think in that line. To be frank, every individual should shoulder this responsibility as the education department needs a massive revamping and transformation.”

The education minister informed that he has directed the department to get all data of every school in the state including those with very low enrolment. “We will examine and accordingly take steps,” he said.

On the process of teachers’ recruitment, Sangma said there were some technical issues because of the roster system based on the High Court order.

There are quite a number of lower primary schools in the state which are without teachers for six months to 2 years.

“To be frank, in my district South Garo Hills 26 schools are without teachers,” he said.

The education minister said that as a stop-gap arrangement, the government is planning to appoint teachers under the 59-day system till regular appointment is done so that such schools are not affected.

Meghalaya Education Min Rakkam A Sangma emphasizes on collective responsibility to reform education system

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 11: Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Friday said it is for everyone to shoulder the responsibility to bring the necessary reformation in the education system of the state.

He also assured the timely disbursement of teachers’ salaries.

“I will take every MLA, every academician and every stakeholder including NGOs on board while taking the education sector forward…Our NGOs are not only to go to the street, they will also be taken on board. I wish to meet all teachers for their opinions,” Rakkam told reporters.

After meeting with the officials of the department, the teacher-turned-education minister said he had already discussed with the chief minister on the need to resolve the salary issues of the teachers.

“I hope we will be able to solve the issue. It is my commitment and I will do my best that this issue will not continue again,” he assured.

Stating that providing quality education is on his priority list, Rakkam said, “We need infrastructure be it syllabus, trained teachers, taking care of the teaching community – it includes all. In this tenure, we will try our best to make improvements in all sectors. We will try our best as education needs major reformation.”

On the presence of too many categories of schools in the state, the education minister said, “We have a unique system which is not present in other states. In the last 50 years, we have travelled all along. There are many categories of schools but right now I am not able to tell the details but we are working out on what needs to be done.”

He said that the department will also examine the other issues including schools having a single-digit enrolment of students to ensure both teachers and students are not affected.

Meghalaya Education Minister Rakkam Sangma for fast tracking teacher recruitment

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 10: Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma today asserted the need to improve the educational sector through fast-tracking government elementary teachers recruitment, contextualise State Curriculum Framework(SCF) in the context of the National Curriculum Framework(NCF) and in line with the New Education Policy 2020, as well as capitalizing on the current initiatives of the State Government on infrastructure upgrade, improvement of quality education through the child-tracking system under Vidya Samiksha Kendra and streamlining teacher’s salary.

In his first interaction with the senior education department’s officials, Rakkam A Sangma also informed that the letter of request for exemption of CUET in respect of the State of Meghalaya from conducting the CUET for the State’s under graduates Institutions for the current academic session has been dispatched through the Chief Minister’s Office.

He also stated that the request letter for extension of the last date of registration for CUET to 31st March 2023 for the State of Meghalaya has been forwarded to the Director General, NTA, New Delhi, citing reasons of the recent Legislative Assembly Election which resulted in the delay of State Board examination wherein, several rural-based students are facing problems of applying/registration in the CUET portal due to remote location, internet connectivity and inaccessible terrain challenges.

The minister also made a brief visit to the Directorate of Educational Research & Training and exhorted all the State Education Team to work tirelessly for furthering the quality of education in the State.