By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Opposition on Thursday cornered Deputy Chief Minister in charge Health and Family Welfare, Rowell Lyngdoh, over the government decision to ask the Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU) to prepare the draft of the State Health Policy.
“We are surprised that the government had assigned the task to MLCU,” Sangma said during question hour, adding that the work should have been assigned to senior government officials.
The Health Minister responded by saying that since the officials were busy with so many other works, the department took the decision to assign the task to MLCU.
However, the Opposition leader, who was clearly unsatisfied with Lyngdoh’s response, stated that the government cannot ask a non-government body to prepare any important official document.
“Never before have I heard that a private body has been asked to prepare official documents of the government,” Sangma said.
Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, meanwhile, jumped into the debate, saying that there is nothing wrong in the decision to outsource the task to preparing the draft of the State Health Policy.
“We would not be taking the draft prepared by MLCU in total. The Government would be examining the draft before finally adopting the State Health Policy,” the Chief Minister said.
The Health Minister also informed that MLCU had submitted the draft in 2010 and at present officials of the health department are engaged in studying and examining the draft.
Asked for a tentative deadline for approval of the draft, he replied that it would be finalised very soon.