Mukul questions govt action against students

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: Opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Dr Mukul Sangma today slammed the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government for allegedly booking the students, who were arrested in the July 24-Tura violence, under the relevant section of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which deals with terrorists and members of the banned organizations.

Speaking to reporters, Sangma said the reaction of the authorities with regards to the incident was more like a pre-planned modus operandi.

“You are seeing a government, who have the audacity to allow young boys and students, who are pursuing their academic careers to be booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which are for the terrorists and members of the banned organizations,” he said.

“This indicates that the government instead of ensuring justice is becoming the main perpetrator of crime. It is a crime. If somebody is implicated falsely just to hide their own failures, is it not a crime?” Sangma asked.

Condemning the government’s action, the former chief minister said the government is trying to destroy the career of these young boys.

“Everybody’s career is important. Conrad Sangma’s career is also as important so also the career of those young boys, who are pursuing their courses of study. Maybe that boy arrested is the only boy who has reached this far in pursuing their academic career, maybe he is the only lone educated boy coming up and he might have dreams to contribute to the society. So these are something which reflects the mindset of the people in power and I condemn them,” he said while adding “This mindset is highly condemnable. Therefore, these issues need to be discussed in the August house. Will we get a chance? They will say it is subjudice so the media has to ask them are these boys’ terrorists?”

Sangma further reminded the State government that there is a procedure if any organization has to be notified as a terrorist organization.

“You look at the list of the terrorist organizations you will see this list is notified by the MHA and not by the State government. So which terrorist organization was there, which was banned that these boys have to be arrested under this particular Act. What are they trying to do that means the government of the day is hell-bent on becoming a perpetrator to do injustice to innocent people that is how I will put it,” he said.

Further, the AITC leader demanded the State government to rectify such wrongs done to the people of the people of State.

“It should not be repeated and the government must rectify all these wrongs that have been perpetrated upon the people of the state,” he said.

Govt looking for options to introduce railway

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the State government is still looking at other regions of the State for implementation of the railway project.

 

This was after the railway projects in the Khasi Hills region have faced roadblocks due to strong opposition from different quarters including pressure groups apprehending influx.

 

Sangma told reporters that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) people are correct that there is no question of closing it (railway project) but there is no question of forcing it also.

 

He said the first project (in Khasi Hills) is facing some hurdles as there are constraints and the government needs to address those concerns and that is taking time.

 

“In the meantime, certain funds were parked for a certain project and since it is not moving forward obviously the Government of India will ask questions how long will you keep this money. So either we give it back or we divert it to another project within the State itself and try to utilize that money so that it doesn’t go to waste and hence, we are exercising and trying to find out if there are other regions in the State, who would be open to the idea of a railway and that exercise has started,” Sangma said.

 

“I have expressed the same to the railway minister and the railway minister has told me he is open to that idea. Therefore, we will examine it from that angle and see if there are other projects we can move forward with and if it is there, we would like to do that otherwise it will be a loss for the State in terms of finances as the money has already come in for certain parts of the railway,” he added.

 

Further, the chief minister said from a development perspective, all want to see that railways should come to the capital and it would improve the overall connectivity, trade and the economy.

 

“There are challenges, there are concerns and different stakeholders have different concerns and therefore, we would like to carry everybody along so obviously no one is saying we are going to shelve it off but the issue is that there are funds lying for certain projects,” he said while adding “Since if the first one is not moving, we will move with a different option and at the same time we will continue to discuss and engaged with different stakeholders and try to find an amicable way in which we can proceed with the project as it is something good for the state and it can be done in a phase-wise manner – so all options are open.”

 

On the implementation of ILP to pave the way for railway lines in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region, Sangma however said ILP is a mechanism in place to address illegal immigrants and concerns of the people but there are other mechanisms that could also be there to address the concerns.

 

“Therefore, ILP is not the concern, the concern is illegal immigration and infiltration and people feel that ILP or some stakeholders feel that ILP can help in addressing those concerns. There are other ways also which is why we introduced the MRRSA and other mechanisms.

 

So we feel that discussions are on. Stakeholders have mentioned that these are conditions so let us see how it goes along. We will keep engaging and we will try to resolve the issue,” he added further.

Violators to pay dearly for sewage discharge into Umkhrah-Umshyrpi

Thirty-two areas have been identified along the two rivers – Umkhrah and Umshyrpi – for setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) even as hefty fines have been imposed against direct discharging of sewage into water bodies.

Forty-five days was also given to the concerned authority to take corrective action against mining activities in and around the Umkhen river, which will become the main source of water supply for the new Shillong township.

This was informed by the Chief Secretary DP Wahlang after a meeting on rejuvenation and restoration of these three major rivers of Shillong in the presence of the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar on Friday.

Different stakeholders including traditional heads and members of civil society groups also attended the meeting, which also highlighted the operative part of the orders passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) towards cleaning and reviving the water bodies of these major rivers.

“The basic focus was basically on the collective responsibility and also working together with one objective and that is to clean up Umkhrah, Umshyrpi and Umkhen which will be future source of water supply scheme in new Shillong,” Wahlang told reporters.

“It was a good meeting as all of us was in one mind and unanimously agreed that we should work together with the various agencies and the civil society groups and the headmen and I am sure that concrete results will be visible very soon,” he added.

Asked on the steps taking to stop direct discharge of liquid and solid waste into the rivers, Wahlang said in his presentation during the meeting he had shown the drone images of Wah Umkhrah right from the source up to Mawlai area and also Umshyrpi right from the source up to the Umshyrpi bridge and “over there we have seen concrete evidence of direct discharge into the rivers”.

He said that the first internal meeting on the matter was actually held on April 6, in which it was decided that the need to consult with all the other stakeholders and make it a bigger collective body towards addressing this problem.

“And since the last one week we have imposed hefty penalty. In fact anyone discharging directly into the rivers and anyone having faulty septic tanks and defective septic tanks if they don’t repair in 10-days’ time a fine will be imposed at the rate of Rs 500 per day not one time but Rs 500 per day till they seal the septic tank or they ensure the discharge does not make its way directly to the water bodies,” Wahlang informed.

“So a lot of decisions have been taken on April 6 meeting and also in today’s meeting in which I highlighted to all the headmen and environmental groups on what actions have been taken as it is time we all wake up as the situation is alarming and it is a collective effort only which will see us through,” he asserted.

Further, the chief secretary informed that NGT order had directed the need to ensure liquid waste is not discharged directly into the rivers.

“(In view of this), 32 areas have been identified – 20 along Umkhrah river and 12 along the Umshyrpi river – and they are known as the fall-off areas in which we need to setup STPs and five of them are under construction and the remaining we are looking for land. Wherever government land is available we will set up these STPs and if not, we have asked for the cooperation of the local dorbars to give us land to set up these STPs as per the direction of the NGT,” he said.

As far as the Umkhen river is concerned, Wahlang said, “Umkhen we have problem right from the source and we will be taking action as some mining activities is going on around that area. We have given about 45 days to take corrective actions as far as Umkhen is concerned.”

“As far as Umkhrah and Umshyrpi are concerned it will be a long drawn process because the problem is very severe in fact. All the localities have seen what is happening where and we have given video shots and we have given pictorial representation of garbage being dump into the river and sewage being dumped and discharged directly into the rivers,” he said.

Whether any timeline has been fixed to address the issues concerning these rivers, the chief secretary however said, “It will be a little time consuming, we have not fix a timeline but we will be setting up a core group as suggested by the chief minister to monitor whatever we have decided today so it is just not a talkshop but also action is taken on whatever we have discussed today.”

Asked if the role of the district council will also be taken into consideration, Wahlang said, “As far as solid and liquid waste management is concerned, in fact today we shared one very important order of the district council empowering the headmen to impose and levy fines on the citizens outside the municipal areas and with that the headmen are empowered and enabling provision is there in the law and I am sure that the headmen will make full use of the power that is given to them and defined within the law.”

With regards to protection of the catchment areas, the chief secretary said, “We also talked about plantation in today’s meeting but the immediate focus at hand in the meeting today was on the cleanliness aspects of the two rivers and Umkhen river the third one at the source. We didn’t go beyond the sources as far as Umkhen river is concerned but for the catchment areas yes plantation activities have been made and I am sure with the cooperation of all this will be fructify very soon.”

Meanwhile, the chief secretary informed that Rs 110 crore of money has already been ringfenced as far as NGT is concerned for the cleaning activities in and around Shillong town.

“A lot of activities being taken up within the municipal area for the Shillong Municipal Board, funding which will come from AMRUT 2.0 as well as Swachh Bharat Management (SBM Urban) and 15th Finance Commission will also pitched in. There is no amount that has been earmarked but funds will be avail because Rs 110 crore of money has already been ringfenced as far as NGT is concerned for the cleaning activities in and around Shillong town,” he added.