Editor,
The Meghalaya Secretariat is the heart of the government in the State. Meghalaya has witnessed many non-official happenings inside the building for many years. Businesses are transacted, new products are traded, some make a brisk sale of things on instalment basis and non-officials go there to take advantage of internet services. It is a perfect place for socialising as it is near, provides free access and there is no one to question your presence. Some office workers have turned the place into a day care center after fetching their children from school. It is high time to control the traffic not only in the secretariat building but in other main offices too.
According to the Principal Secretary, Secretariat Affairs Department (SAD) Mr P Naik the ACS (Access Control System) will be installed before the end of January or early next month and Biometric smart cards will be provided to the workers in the building including all the officials. This is a smart move by Mr Naik as I can see the access machines are already placed at the front door of the building.
The question now is whether Mr Naik has thought about the technical know how of the functioning part of the system. Trained personnel are required to handle and monitor the sensitive machines. I hope the machines won’t just be dumped there like the traffic lights which are now ignored and forgotten. What a waste of public money! And also don’t forget the many back door accesses to the secretariat building.
Yours etc.,
ML Kharmawphlang,
Via email
From .M.L. Kharmawphlang.
Shillong-4
Bon voyage MLAs!
Editor,
Bon voyage to the politicians who have left our shores for a three nation tour. How thoughtful of the legislators and parliamentarians of three countries to extend invitations all at the same time: it saves the public exchequer a lot of money in sending them once instead of three times. Such co-ordination between these countries of South-East Asia is the need of the hour in these sensitive times. It is to be hoped that traffic police in Bangkok, Hanoi and Manila do not interfere in the movements of our legislators or they may have to face privilege committees. It is also elevating to observe that the Centre had to give in, and give clearance after “a lot of haggling and wheedling”; it shows how seriously our legislators are taking this tour, and how serious they are about observing their duties. Meanwhile, it is heartening to learn that yet another group of politicians have left for Israel. I’m sure that the respected politicians (that’s not an oxymoron), on their return, will quickly implement their observations and findings in making our lives better.
I know that they are trying their best, and it’s been 40 years now.
Yours etc.,
Dhruva Chowdhury,
Shillong – 1
Don’t communalise the bureaucracy
Editor,
I personally think that officers who are from outside make better, effective officials. We have seen how in the event of any incident, relatives, maharis, community members try and pressurise the officer involved. This is not administration at its best. It also leads to unfair and illegal decisions. While local dialects and local conditions may be a plus point, this need not necessarily lead to better or just administration. Non local officers do try their best to gel with the local crowd at least in Garo Hills.
Yours etc.,
Nesfield B Sangma