By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Soil and Water Conservation, Rowell Lyngdoh, has said that the Khlieh Nongsynshar has no right to issue a diktat to the State Government on the implementation of Government schemes and projects.
“It is really unfortunate that the Khlieh Nongsynshar under Sohra Sub Division is convening a Dorbar Hima to tell the Government how to implement the schemes,” Lyngdoh said here on Sunday.
Stating that it was not right for the Khlieh Nongsynshar to behave in this manner, he said that the Khlieh Nongsynshar should understand that it is the prerogative of the Government on where and how to implement the schemes.
“I do not think the Government needs the advice of traditional institutions to implement the schemes. We have the Planning and Finance departments to do this job,” the Deputy Chief Minister said, adding,
“I would not have had a problem if an elected representative would have raised questions on the implementation of any schemes.”
When asked why the Government withdrew the Rs 27 crore earmarked for the Sohra Ecological Project, Lyngdoh said that there is no specific reason as ‘the fund must have been withdrawn for some urgent project’.
“But the withdrawal of this amount does not mean that the Government has abandoned the Sohra Ecological Project. Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has assured that the project would continue,” Lyngdoh said.
Meanwhile, 45 villages within Sohra area are scheduled to meet on July 3 to discuss the decision of the Government to withdraw the fund for the Sohra Ecological Project.
The meeting is expected to be attended by all the Rangbah Shnong and Sordar of the various villages under Sohra Civil Sub Division.
The Khlieh Nongsynshar had on May 27 written a letter to Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma requesting him not to withdraw the fund sanctioned for the Sohra Ecological Project as the project was of great importance to the people of Sohra.
Earlier, the KHADC MDCs had expressed dissatisfaction over a letter written by the Under Secretary of the Soil and Water Conservation department, asking the KHADC Secretary to write to the Khlieh Nongsynshar within the Sohra Civil Sub-division not to interfere with the implementation of the Government schemes.
Stating that the Government cannot undermine the power of the traditional heads, the MDCs had demanded that the Government should withdraw the statement which was an insult to the traditional heads.