SHILLONG: Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh is slated to visit Jowai on Wednesday to hold discussions with the various stakeholders on the need to provide a facelift to civic management in the district headquarters of Jaintia Hills.
“I would be going to Jowai to hold a discussion with the stakeholders under the Jowai Municipal Board (JMB) on the need to give a face-lift to the civic management,” Lyngdoh told reporters on Tuesday.
She further said that she would also seek their support to the Government in taking care over the civic amenities in the district headquarter.
It may be mentioned last year the State government had to put on hold civic polls to the Jowai Municipal Board after the Gauhati High Court ordered the restoration of a writ petition against municipal elections filed by the Jaintia Tribal Traders’ Association.
The elections were scheduled to be held on February 15 last year.
Meanwhile, in a related development the State Assembly has notified Ampareen as the new Chairperson of the Select Committee on the Meghalaya Community Participation Bill, 2011.
The Committee was constituted last year by the Assembly and senior Congress legislator Friday Lyngdoh was made the Chairman. But as Lyngdoh has remained indisposed, Ampareen was chosen as the replacement.
Other members of the Committee include legislators Paul Lyngdoh, Timothy D Shira, Pynshngain N Syiem, Metbah Lyngdoh and Comingone Ymbon.
In June 2010, the Cabinet had approved the Bill on the ground that it wanted to improve municipal administration in the urban areas of the State. However, several traditional bodies and social organisations have expressed serious reservations against the bill.
Speaking on her new assignment, Ampareen said that she would have to study the proceedings of the Committee before convening a meeting of the Committee.
