From Our Correspondent
TURA: Drawing the attention of many in Tura town, the District Congress Committee, West Garo Hills and the Tura City Congress Committee organized an elaborate felicitation programme on Monday at the Tura District Auditorium in honor of Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr Mukul M Sangma and his cabinet colleagues on their successful formation of the Government in the State.
Winning the applause and support of many, the Chief Minister during his address clarified the reasons behind various issues of the region such as water scarcity, power failures, militancy and others and said he was looking forward to working together with all the legislators to fight backwardness and poverty in the State.
Stating that, in the past various constructive and beneficial projects had been dislocated because of disagreements between legislators, the Chief Minister urged all the legislators of the State to fight backwardness in unity, be they from the ruling party or from the opposition.
“We are already late in the pursuit of development. We have to move fast and utilize each and every moment to get closer to a better tomorrow,” he said adding that it is time for all the politicians to withdraw themselves from the hindering stand and embark on a more constructive mind-set that will benefit the people of the State.
Dr Mukul Sangma also asserted that backwardness and lack of development is the root cause of unrest and disturbances in the region and peace can come only with development and opportunities in all sectors.
The Chief Minister also held a review meeting on integrated basin development and livelihood promotion programme (IBDLP) with the district officials of the line departments at Circuit House on March 25.
Dr Sangma said while the last couple of years had been a learning experience and acclimatization for all officers down to grass roots workers on IBDLP, it was now time to move forward aggressively so as to optimally derive from the programme.
Stating that water is the core component of IBDLP, Dr Sangma expressed concern over the distressing water crisis in Tura and urged the PHE department and the line departments to come together to find sustainable solution to the problem by teaming up with the Basin Development programme.
“The programme being based on partnership mode, requires mass mobilization, must be activated through entrepreneur facilitation centres and has to be able to integrate ideas”, he said, adding “Now the way forward must include concrete plans to create visibility in the context of objectives to make a difference in the lives of the people.”
He also reminded the officers that political heads can only make decisions, but the programmes are channelized through their respective line departments while urging upon them to plan various programmes n advance.
He informed the meeting about the programme loan that was on its final stage of implementation and also of many other collateral funding that are in the offing.