By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The first timers in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly came up with several valid suggestions for the improvement of the State while taking part in the general discussion on the Governor’s address in the Assembly on Friday.
While Dr Celestine Lyngdoh (Cong) from the Treasury Bench spoke about the need for addressing the plight of betel leaf growers, Jemino Mawthoh (UDP) expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and the failure of the Government to address the issue of influx.
In his address, Dr Lyngdoh pressed upon the Government to provide assistance to traditional betel leaf growers who reside along places like Jirang, Umsning and Nongpoh in Ri-Bhoi district bordering Assam besides War-Jaintia areas.
“So far, the Government has not provided any kind of financial assistance to these people,” he said.
The Congress legislator also said that the decision of the Government to create more Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres would be a total waste if the desired manpower is not available to serve in these centres.
He also referred to the installation of CT scan and X-Ray machines in various health centres which have remain unutilized over the years in the absence of qualified people required to operate these machines.
Despite NEIGRIHMS starting a MBBS courses for the last five years, he said it is sad that none of the students from the State have been able to clear the Common Entrance Test (CET) to get an admission into the institute.
Highlighting the problem faced by the KHADC, Lyngdoh who is also an MDC said that the staff and officers of the Council had recently gone for a pen down strike since they are yet to get their arrears and
other allowances. Dr Lyngdoh also highlighted on the need to put in place a transparent system regarding the share on royalties on various minerals resources in the State.
Meanwhile, UDP legislator Jeminoh Mawthoh said that the law and order situation in the State is not very encouraging.
While referring to the report of India Today in 2007, he said that Meghalaya is lying at the bottom in terms of States having the worse law and order situation.
“In the past five to six years since the report was published, the situation has not improved. The number of crimes in the State keeps on increasing,” Mawthoh said.
He also cited a recent report where an MLA was ‘waylaid’ by militants.
The UDP legislator also expressed his disappointment over the failure of the Government to come with a fool proof mechanism to address the issue of influx and problem of illegal immigrants.
Pointing out that tagging Meghalaya as a fast growing economy would be too farfetched, Mawthoh said that in the budget speech last year, there was a line which stated that ‘Meghalaya has a slow economic growth with high dependency on central support’.
On the issue of food security, he said that despite 80 per cent of the population depending on agriculture, the State has not been able to produce enough food grains to become self dependent.
Expressing concern over problem of unemployment, he said that out of the 30 lakh population, the State has a sizable of youth population who are graduates and post graduates.
The sad part is that the Government is yet to have a policy in creating employment avenues and opportunities to absorb the thousands of unemployed youth, he said.
On the issue of environment, he said that the unregulated mining activities going on in the State have led to the pollution of majority of the rivers and water sources.
He also called for the need to have a good water policy to protect the water systems in Meghalaya.