Meghalaya PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak to review PHE mode of functioning

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 10: Minister in charge of Public Health Engineering (PHE) Marcuise N Marak today said he would aggressively monitor the implementation of funds sanctioned by the central government for providing drinking water to the people of Meghalaya.

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After chairing his first meeting with the top officials of the department, Marak told reporters that they have apprised him of the position of the department and that he has decided to immediately review the functioning of the department on Saturday.

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The PHE minister said that the state has been getting funds from the Government of India, which is investing to provide drinking water facilities in the state while asserting that this needs to be implemented properly so that for the next 30 years the state will not have any problem.

“Therefore, I will monitor aggressively and I will personally inspect the projects wherever the projects are being constructed and I will make sure our Meghalaya state in terms of PHE department whatever money the central government is giving is implemented properly,” he assured.

On the issue of scarcity of water supply, Marak said, “I will try to find out what is the reason behind the scarcity. Of course, as you are aware most of the catchment areas are drying up. Maybe because of that also scarcity is there. Otherwise, if the department is having problems in bringing water to the people, if that is also there I will check and ensure it is implemented properly.”

He also assured to ensure proper implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission which is to provide functional water taps to every household in the state.

Meghalaya NPP leader Marcuise N Marak denies ‘horse trading’ charge

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 10: National People’s Party leader and spokesperson of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance – 2.0 government Marcuise N Marak has categorically denied that his party and its allies were engaging in ‘horse trading’.

“There is no horse trading at all,” Marak told reporters when responding to a query on the allegation made by the former chief minister Mukul Sangma that the alternative government could not be formed by regional parties, AITC and Congress, due to the horse trading.

“If some of the newly elected MLAs wanted to join the NPP-led government then our duty is to welcome them. So therefore, where is horse trading? There is no horse trading at all,” he firmly stated.

On his first day in office, Marak, who is also a cabinet minister in-charge of public health engineering (PHE), expressed confidence that the MDA government will perform well.

He said that he found that the portfolios given to all ministers were quite fairly distributed.

“Most of the ministers are very experienced – Paul, Ampareen and Mondal are very senior. These are ministers who have already proven their efficiency. Therefore, I hope this cabinet will perform well and I will also try my level best to perform well,” Marak said.

Stories of a Shillong boy Part 1: Hill Boy and the Desert

There is a little 10 year old boy in Shillong who has a funny way of looking at things. I call him “Ray” – A named derived from his Khasi first name. I am his mother and this is one of the many stories I have about him.

Now Ray had an intense hate for two subjects in school – science and geography. I’m still drawing nonsensical circles around science, but I think I’ve cracked geography and a geography lesson is one of the most fun things we do together now. I want to talk about a lesson we did a little while ago.

In this lesson, we read about the Thar Desert. The book said something really scary to Ray. It told him that the desert is expanding because we cut down forests and let our cattle eat away all our grasslands. This really worried him. Before we could go on with the lesson, he said, “But I don’t want the desert to reach the Meghalaya.”

I looked at him and said, “It won’t.”

“But the book says that it will.” He insists. “I don’t want to live in a desert.”

I had to think for a bit. See Ray has this way of getting fixated on something and then he dwells on it – a reason why I tutor him myself by redoing every chapter that his teachers have taught in school. His head is full of questions that he would never ask in a classroom kind of space, but he would demand an answer out of me.

“It will not happen tomorrow Ray.” I said, “We’ll all be dead and gone by then. There is no need to stress.”

This did not put him at ease at all. He was worried. “I don’t want to live in India anymore if the desert is growing mei. We have to leave India.”

“There are deserts everywhere.” I said.

“This can happen all over the world?” he asked sounding completely helpless.

“Yes.” I said thinking of Mad Max Fury Road. “But it won’t happen anytime soon. It will probably happen during the time of your great great great great grandchild so you have nothing to worry about.”

This calmed him down for a little while and I was able to finish the lesson. He had his dinner after that, brushed his teeth and got into bed.

As I was tucking him in he said softly, “But I want my great great great great grand son or daughter to live also.”

And it suddenly struck me that even I want my great great great great great grandchild to live.

(This piece has been written by Dalariti Nongpiur with illustrations by Hazel Kharkongor)