Editor,
In today’s news the caption ‘Umroi Airport to be functional soon’ was a welcome banner but the content made shocking reading in that the NEC is considering giving the contract and the resultant subsidy for running the commercial Air Service from Shillong to either of the 7 firms that have submitted their tenders. None of these 4 firms mentioned in the news, have the expertise or pedigree to match the smallest of any airline operating in any region of India, and of course beyond comparison with the National Airlines operating in the country, including AIR INDIA. The last time around services were provided by AIR INDIA, as Alliance Air, it’s subsidiary which has long ago merged into Air India. As a frequent traveller and I believe many others too would agree that the service provided by Air India/Alliance Air was well managed even with the constraints of filling only 35 seats out of 50 on the aircraft, owing to absence of re-fuelling facility at Umroi. Will a tiny firm with meagre resources of men, aircrafts and funds, whom most of the travellers will not trust, for safety and performance, be able to deliver the much required and desired air service from Shillong, or will it be a token service, to avail of the subsidy being provided by the Govt. of India?
I appeal to the learned officers at the helm of NEC, as well as the Govt. of Meghalaya, to kindly consider the above facts before allotting the rights of Air Service to a tiny firm, ignoring the claims of Air India, which was providing this service with little or no profit. If Air India is not good then get one of the other 3 National Airlines operating in the country, but not just anybody, who does not have the strength to run this service.
Yours etc.,
Kishan Tibrewala,
Via email
Streamlining the PDS
Editor,
Through your valued daily I would like to point out few points on the public distribution in our State. Every year the quota of sugar under PDS lapses for one or two months. In spite of writing letters to the D.C East Khasi Hills (Supply) I have not received a satisfactory response. There is a blame game between played by the DC Supply and the FCI about not receive the quota of sugar. There has not been any sincere effort to ensure that the sugar quota for a particular month is received within that month although it is released from the Central Pool. It is therefore heartening to note that the Centre is likely to release Rs. 43 crore for PDS computerization in Meghalaya with the aim of minimizing malpractices in the PDS. At least computerization will check corruption and pilferage which has been the bane of the PDS in Meghalaya. Also there will be a proper check as far as timely distribution of rice and sugar under PDS is concerned.
Yours etc.,
SL. Singhania,
Headman,
Police Bazar, Shillong-1
Outdated information in Govt/Assembly websites
Editor,
Through your esteemed daily, I request the Hon’ble Speaker and other officials of the Assembly to kindly update and upload the relevant information of the House such as the bills, proceedings, resolutions etc. in the Assembly website regularly in public interest. I am one of the frequent visitors of the website but I am distressed to find that information has not been updated for many years now. We know we can avail the information through RTI application but why should we busy ourselves unnecessarily in the already very busy lives we live. It will also cost money as one has to pay the application fee and photo-copy reams of information. We are conscious of the saying ‘save papers save trees’. Publication of such information whether in the form of report, compendium etc., including the official gazette is important but that will take time and have limited circulation. In fact, Chapter II of RTI Act 2005 points out that one of the obligations of public authority(s) is to publish all relevant facts while formulating important policies or announcing decisions which affect public interest.
It is said that ‘knowledge is power’ and knowledge implies information and the understanding thereof. One of the necessary conditions for the successful functioning of democracy is to have a well informed and enlightened citizenry. Therefore, I request all the departments of the Meghalaya Government to kindly upload and update all the relevant information in their websites from time to time. This will greatly benefit students, research scholars, government officials and civil society. In fact, this is the e-governance that government talks about all the time. In this era of information technology, we are more inclined to browse the soft pages of the net than flip through the hard pages of books.
Yours etc.,
Airpeace Rani
Shillong – 04
Unregulated ground water exploitation
Editor,
With the onslaught of water boring in and around Shillong, few would have known about its repercussions and its health impact on our lives. Environmental issues apart, which is an agenda least interested by many and neglected by the student bodies and various NGOs of the state, it is imperative to cite some facts through your esteemed daily. Bore water may contain harmful substances such as arsenic, nitrates and E. coli, so it is important to have it tested before it is ingested or used for any other purposes. It should also be periodically monitored for contamination. Time and again it has been tested and proven through various reports about the ailments emerging from drinking untested underground water. This has led to innumerable cases of patients with these ailments crowding various hospitals, thereby leading to sheer waste of their hard earned money coupled with constant mental pressure.
Campaigning for a ban will only invite confrontations from the profit making have’s but then the authorities should look into health issues by having a proper mechanism to keep a check on such rampant boring. This will only safeguard health related issues which is pertinent for any progressive society. Precaution will prevent water related epidemics in the future. But why is there a free for all in the issue of ground water drilling in our State?
Yours etc.,
Abir Suchiang,
EFLU, Shillong