Editor
Apropos the letter, “Why take on only the miners/exporters?” (ST June 15, 2013) from a limestone exporter which relates to the controversial limestone mining at Nongtalang , West Jaintia Hills District. The writer says that if the DFO of the district under which Nongtalang falls, had exercised his powers as a Forest officer to safeguard the environment then the miners would not have opposed him in the performance of his duty. The writer throws the blame at the DFO for allowing the miners a free for all by accepting their royalty unquestioningly. In this case it appears that the DFO was complicit with the miners in the destruction of a fragile biosphere which he had been trained and employed to protect. Evidently this DFO has failed in his duty as the protector of the environment and is no longer fit to hold the post. It has also been hinted that the concerned DFO hobnobs with the cement company honchos. This is an even more dangerous example. The Government must initiate an independent enquiry into this matter and the DFO concerned and not throw dust in people’s eyes.
Yours etc.,
K Dkhar,
Shillong-2
Air link at Umroi
Editor,
It is very welcome news indeed that Air India will resume operations to Umroi. Thank you NEC for sorting out the issue with the Airline. To make it more effective can NEC and the Govt. of Meghalaya also arrange for refuelling facility at Umroi to ensure optimum utilisation of all the seats on the Aircraft. We are told that this matter was taken up on high priority by the former Chairman, National Security Advisory Board, Mr Naresh Chandra after he was briefed by a senior official of the Transport Department during his visit to Shillong in November last year. Another matter is to drop the Umroi – Jorhat flight, and make KOL – SLG – KOL flights direct on both legs, on merit and statistics as there are very few takers for Jorhat and it is annoying for Shillong passengers to spend an extra time of 1.5 hours on the Aircraft.
This will improve Tourism and also provide the much desired air connectivity to Shillongites.
Yours etc.,
Kishan Tibrewalla,
Via email
Mysterious case of the TMB Community Organiser
Editor,
It is unfortunate and disheartening that we took up a project work which relates to communities in Tura under Tura Municipal Board (TMB) which had to be abandoned as we could not meet the Community Organiser despite repeated efforts. We travelled to Tura to get some details and data on three different occasions between December 2012 and January 2013 to meet the Chief Executive Officer, TMB and the Community Organiser. The first time we were told the former was in Delhi attending a training. We were told by the State authorities that there is a Community Organiser who would be the main source of information as she looks after community related work. But after visiting her office day after day for several days each time we were in Tura we failed to meet the lady. She neither attended office and nor could anyone tell us where she was. We asked the staff is she was engaged in any community based work in the field but they said it was unlikely for there would have been some information. Thus we have wasted our time, energy and money for nothing. Someone in the group suggested that we change the project as we had wasted almost a month in trying to meet up with the Community Organiser but I was determined to get into the core of the mysterious communities of Tura which seem to be having such a neglectful organiser. Finally we had to take up other project works. It is a matter of shame for the Municipal & MUDA authorities as well as the District Administration to not take notice of such wilful negligence of duty and to be paying salary to the CO for nothing. How many times has she mobilised the community? If she is not found satisfactory, some other aspiring and active candidate should be appointed in her place as that is the only way to transform the Urban slum areas and organize / implement better programmes with the communities.
Yours etc.
M Marak, S Ghosh & T Dkhar
Shillong.
ST must become an e-paper
Editor,
Your new look is inspiring. But I still feel that ST needs to become an epaper. Please introduce it.
Yours etc.,
Manasij Bhattacharjee
News Editor