Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 21: The process of relocation of the CRPF camp from Mawlai has been initiated.

This was informed by the deputy chief minister in-charge home (police) Prestone Tynsong in a reply to a starred question tabled in the Assembly on Thursday.

He said the government has allocated 10 acres of land for the establishment of a battalion camping site of CRPF at Umsawli, New Shillong Township and the process of handing/taking over of the land and lease agreement is under process.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to chief secretaries of all the States and Union Territories (UTs) and the Secretary, Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment seeking a report on the de-addiction centres.

The NHRC wanted to know how many de-addiction centres are presently available with the Government Sector, can private entities be allowed to set up de-addiction centres, are there any rules or regulations framed under the NDPS Act to regulate the de-addiction centres as mandated in Section 71 of NDPS Act.

It also asked as to what is the mechanism for providing training to the persons employed in such de-addiction centres; and to specify the mechanisms to regulate private de-addiction centres including charges/fees, employment of staff, counsellor, medical staff, food supplied and overall upkeep of such rehabilitation centres.

This came after the NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report of yet another death of an inmate at a private drug de-addiction centre, which is the third such incident in the recent past.

Reportedly, a 24-year-old man was beaten to death by the people running a De-addiction Centre in Chandramani area of Dehradoon, Uttarakhand on 10th April, 2023.

Prior to this, the Commission had taken suo motu cognizance of two similar incidents at De-addiction Centres in NOIDA and Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and the reports have been sought.

The Commission has observed that all three rehabilitation centres, two in UP and one in Uttarakhand were being run by private entities. It needs serious consideration as to whether the De-addiction Centres can be allowed to be operated by private entities, and if it is so, whether State(s) have ensured sufficient safety measures in place to protect the interest of the inmates with a view to achieving the desired goal.

Notices have also been issued to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttarakhand calling for a detailed report in the instant case of the death of an inmate at Dehradoon Rehab Centre.

The reports should include the present status of the investigation of the case and compensation and relief, if any, provided to the Next of kin of the deceased.

According to the media report, carried on 13th April, 2023, the patients of the Dehradoon De-addiction Centre, have said that their beatings were frequent and routine, as were hunger and lack of hygiene. No doctor or counsellor ever visited the centre.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 6: The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) Mawlai circle has demanded that the state government puts on hold the construction of the PWD road stretch from Mawlai Mawroh near the Meghalaya Police Public School up to Mawroh PHC.

This demand came after a video went viral on social media showing the upper layer of the road being detached from the surface.

The HITO Mawlai Circle led by its president Wansuklang Lawriniang went for an on-site inspection and found out that a stretch of freshly laid road near Meghalaya Police Public School up to Mawroh PHC was not renovated according to the norms of PWD.

Speaking to media persons Lawriniang said that the HITO Mawlai circle had taken cognizance of the issue not just because of poor quality of work but it is also because the contractor does not have a work order on the project and also there is no estimate to carry out the work.

He alleged that there is an issue of corruption involved in the matter because, after inspection of the ongoing work, it was found that the contractor had used poor quality of materials and had not followed the norms of the PWD.

“With this poor quality of implementing the work, we can say it involves corruption since the contractor does not have a work order on the project nor the estimates” alleged Lawriniang.

In this regard, the HITO urged the government and the PWD (Roads) department to look into the matter and to stop the work immediately until the matter is probed.

Meanwhile, the contractor who does not wish to be named put the blame on the rainy season for the dilapidated condition of the road by saying that the work was done last week and the tar could not hold on to the road because of incessant rain.