Homeguard recruitment
SHILLONG: Member of Opposition, Paul Lyngdoh (UDP) on Wednesday stressed on the need for the government to ensure monthly disbursement of salary to the homeguard personnel while initiating fresh recruitment drive in the Home Guard and Civil Defence department. Moving a cut motion on the need to tone up the quality of Homeguard personnel and initiate fresh recruitment drive in the department, Lyngdoh urged the government through the Minister incharge of the Home Guard and Civil Defence department, Sniawbhalang Dhar to look into the matter seriously. Reacting to this, Dhar informed the House that over Rs 1 crore has been budgeted for the year 2013-14 for payment of salaries to the homeguard personnel. Reacting to the question on the need to have trained homeguard personnel to provide quality services to the people, especially during natural disasters, the Civil Defence Minister said that the department has been conducting training programmes whereby more than 16000 personnel have been trained in training institutes at Shillong, Tura and Jowai. Dhar also informed that many reforms have been initiated in the department while adding that, “The creation of two companies specifically dealing with disaster management is under consideration.” The Minister also informed that fresh recruitment is under process.
State to restore water bodies
SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister and in charge of Water Resources Rowell Lyngdoh on Wednesday told the Assembly that the Water Resources Department has proposed projects for the restoration of the 34 water bodies in the State. He was replying to a question raised by Jemino Mawthoh (UDP) about the measures taken by the department to protect the water bodies and river systems in Meghalaya. The Deputy Chief Minister added that projects have been proposed under the scheme “Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies” of the Union Ministry of Water Resources. The Department has also constituted a Water Quality Review Committee, he added.
Tura drinking water
SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Public Health Engineering (PHE) Prof RC Laloo on Wednesday said that steps will be taken to ensure that water supplied to Tura town meets the drinking water standards. He was replying to a question raised by MLA John Lesley Sangma on the potability of the water being supplied to Tura town. Replying to Sangma’s assertion that the quality of water in Tura was very bad and brown in colour, Laloo said that the water being supplied is monitored once a week and samples are collected randomly.