From Our Correspondent
TURA: Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh with Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh in tow visited Garo Hills on Wednesday to observe the situation from ‘Ground Zero’ as she told this reporter.
When asked for her opinion on the Community Participation Bill which appears to be a thorn in the flesh of NGOs and traditional institutions, Ampareen said, “It is important to have people’s support in pushing through any major reforms. We shall hold public consultations on this issue.”
When asked what the future course of action is vis-à-vis the municipal elections and implementation of the Community Participation Bill, Lyngdoh said, “At the end of the day we have to carry people along.
It’s not a game of one-up-manship. No one should think they have won or lost the battle. Here we have to look for a win-win situation and I believe that we will arrive at a consensus after due public consultation.
Ampareen also appealed to all to maintain calm and not politicise the issue further. “The Government is concerned about the deteriorating civic services in urban townships and is trying to put together a system that aims to deliver. If people feel that the proposed system is objectionable then they should consciously deliberate and come up with alternative suggestions and present those before the Government,” Ampareen added.