Editor,
After the various reports published in your newspaper about the PHE department regarding scams, nexus of an electrical engineer with politicians etc., I would also like to point out here and draw the attention of the Assembly which is ongoing about the basic functions and powers of a particular technocrat in the execution of works carried out by this PHE department for the last many years. The technocrats that run the PHED are mainly civil, electrical & mechanical engineers. But a strange and silly thing that happened in this department only is that mostly all electrical engineers working in the PHED undertake civil work constructions in various aspects. This is not happening in other departments such as MeCEL, etc. I wonder as to how an electrical engineer can undertake the work of a civil engineer when their branch of studies are quite different. If this be the case(that is happening only in our state) then there is no point of pursuing professional courses under different trades or branches. If the government allows such thing in this department I think the various schemes(civil constructions) that are implemented by the PHED might put the life of the public at great risk because I don’t believe that an electrical engineer will know all the techniques of civil construction as applied in civil engineering. It will be the same like an Ayurvedic physician prescribing allopathic medicines(who was recently arrested by the police). I therefore request the MLAs especially the Leader of Opposition (Mr.Conrad Sangma who is known for his intelligence to raise this issue on the floor of the House so that proper functioning of this department can be achieved.
Yours etc,
Phrangshaibor Lyngdoh.
Shillong-8.
No change please
Editor,
I was checking my bag the other day; to my dismay I found I had no change to take the local cab to another point of Shillong. I spotted a newspaper man and bought myself a few newspapers. I was returned some change along with a few Center Fresh chewing gums. And here I thought I was the only one with no change. I boarded another local cab in the evening and as I had no change I lengthened my journey just so that I could feel alright not losing some pennies as there was no change with the cab driver either. A man narrated in the local cab about how he would frequent a restaurant for lunch and the owner of the restaurant would dole out pieces of carton papers sealed and signed along with the change of Rs 5, 2 and 1 stamped on the paper and requesting the customer to bring the paper the next time he/she visits the restaurant in order to adjust payments owed or to be paid. Are we running short of change? And how dare traders make their own currency out of paper? Is this legal? While the rest of the country still pays change to the customer down to 50 paise here in Shillong we have a major shortage of change. Cab drivers demand Rs 10 for a journey worth Rs.5, the argument being ‘NO CHANGE’ or ‘GET CHANGE’ and travel. How can we overlook this situation? It has become a regular nuisance. So the talk now is, should we as customers also dole out sweets and gums or sealed and signed paper in lieu of money? Well, I receive at least 5 to 6 sweets everyday as exchange for money/change. Am I the only sweet toothed one or are others in the same soup but not willing to say “Halla Bol”
Yours etc.,
Kenyir Olga,
Via email
Wake up Dr Sangma!
Editor,
I salute Mr Ardent Basaiawmoit and Ms Patricia Mukhim, the crusaders of clean politics. Your honesty and openness deserves applause. The Chief Engineer of PHED, Mr Sun’s political nexus has come to light on the floor of the House. I wish that the Chief Minister, Dr. Mukul Sangma takes serious note of the issue. Mr. Sun is known to be a great manipulator of the PHE Department. He had superseded most of his seniors in the Department during his career. It is alleged that most of the Civil works under his Department are being allotted to his family members. And not only that; he is guilty of nepotism as he appointed his family member to the post of an engineer of the Department and even managed to confirm the services of the incumbent without appearing for the MPSC. One cannot have such a power if he had no political connections. Wake up Dr Mukul Sangma! This is defaming your otherwise performing government!
Yours etc.,
Shanbor Lyngdoh
Shillong-14
Stop blaming influx for everything
Editor,
The other day in the Assembly, Mr Ardent Basaiawmoit, the UDP legislator, seemed surprised (maybe shocked) that workers from other states of India are not being registered by the government. Would he expect workers from Meghalaya to be registered when they go to work in other states of India, under the same Constitution?
Another MLA, Nihim Shira of the NCP could not believe how the population of Meghalaya grew up by 6 lakhs in ten years except through the process of influx from outside. There is a simple arithmetic for this Mr.Shira. Meghalaya has 5782 villages (we don’t count the towns). Even if there are only 200 people in each village, and each village has 30 houses (say with 7 people in each house) the total houses will be 1,73,460. Suppose every house has minimum of one new birth every two years (here belief system and tradition encourage more births)then in ten years the population will be 8,67,300! Way above the 6 lakh increase in the census. Further the total fertility rate of Meghalaya is 3.8 (means every woman has almost 4 kids) way above most states of India. In other words the factory of births is world class. So before blaming ‘influx’ for every ill, I feel our learned leaders need to go to school again.
Yours etc.,
Broncostar Thyrniang,
Camp:Mumbai,
India