Editor
I think the fire “happened” in the wrong secretariat though the report says that some cash and tax records were lost in the fire. One wonders what kind of cash was kept in transport department and why. Hopefully it is petty cash. Going by earlier reports that a High Level Scrutiny Committee has been formed to investigate into the affairs of the Education Department involving the monitor herself and one of the members being an officer of the defaulting department, albeit a senior bureaucrat, I wonder whose report would be accepted by the Government-the CBI’s or the high flying HSLC. We all know that CBI is the right authority for all criminal offences and not some Committee formed by the State. Heaven help us if the government continues with forming high level committees to investigate and prosecute matters that the state itself is complicit in. This is the first step towards chaos. How can the state government infringe into the domain of policing and prosecuting. It will not be long when the judiciary would have to take suo moto notice and initiate action on their own – a la the Pakistan Judiciary
Yours etc.,
Nesfield B Sangma
Money power at its worst
Editor,
Apropos your editorial, “Money power at its worst” (ST Feb 26, 2013), I fully agree with your views and would like to point out how the money is distributed and how election officials turn a blind eye to all this. Indeed this election money power was at its worst – from taking people to Accoland for picnics, distributing copies after showing the Voters ID Card (taking assurance of voting for the party), buying voters by giving them anything between Rs 500 – 2000 per voter, recharging their mobile phones, donation to various youth clubs on the eve of election, and sundry promises of a better future etc.All these things happening and our election/expenditure observers could not detect such malpractices. All respectable Government Employees / School Teachers / Homemakers were deployed to distribute money in the localities across Shillong but not a single case got detected.
Government employees on pretext of election duty were seen canvassing for parties and were actively involved in the party affairs though you will not find their names in the list of office bearers. A bit of intelligence from Election Officials could have unearthed all such activities of these Government Employees. My question is how will those people expect any service from the MLA in the next 5 years as they had taken money for voting for him? And we dare to blame politicians of being corrupt! Actually we the people have made them corrupt. The election expenditure incurred by the candidates will be recovered by them from various MLA Schemes / Projects and hence we do not expect to see any development in those localities where people have taken money for voting for a particular candidate.
Lastly, I strongly urge the Election Commission not to publish the polling station-wise result as once this is out political parties / candidates start victimizing the residents of such localities in case they have not got their share of votes and have lost to their rival. I really don’t know what the Election Commission gains by publishing the polling station wise results and what is the whole objective behind this? Hope this election throws up new leaders who can speak for the state and bring in development as we are far behind even our neighbouring state of Assam in terms of infrastructure etc. We need leaders who can work for the state and not for themselves. God bless Meghalaya.
Yours etc.,
Debanjan Das
Shillong-6
Pool predictions by a rookie
Editor,
Dr. Mukul Sangma is most likely to retain the chair of the Chief Minister of Meghalaya after the results on February 28. Deputy Chief Ministers may come up and there will be a new Speaker in the Assembly. UDP will have an impact in the urban areas, mainly in the Shillong constituencies. The Congress has influence with the rural electorate and the party had projected the various national schemes like the MGNREGA as the Congress schemes. The networking of the party workers at the grass roots level is unrivaled. Oh! but, if only the Congress candidates who are soon to be elected can form a separate coalition against their own party members. However, such a move will disqualify them. It is very clear to all there is no love lost among the Congress leaders. They are as opportunistic as all other politicians.
The HSPDP may have at least two MLAs. I won’t be surprised if one of them get a plum cabinet berth or even the post of the Deputy CM. Then there will be candidates who win this election as Independents because the Congress tickets were denied to them. It remains to be seen how they will play their politics ( dirty?) to the hilt.
Yours etc.,
Joshua Samshok
Shillong-21