Clean governance, protection of environment tops agenda
SHILLONG: Clean and corruption free governance and protection of the environment tops the agenda in the seven-point manifesto released by the Opposition UDP on Tuesday.
Highlighting the main agenda of the party manifesto, UDP working president Bindo M Lanong said the UDP Executive Committee is committed to provide clean and corruption free governance in the district councils.
“We would also to like to streamline the functioning the Councils to make them more effective,” Lanong said.
The UDP working president said that they would also take all possible steps to preserve the environment.
“We would educate the people on the need to protect the environment. We would also plant more trees within the forest areas under the Council,” he said.
Lanong also expressed concern over the rampant felling of trees in two major forest areas at Lai Lad, Ri-Bhoi and Aradonga in West Khasi Hills.
“I have been informed that teak growing inside the Aradonga forest have been massacred,” Lanong said.
During the rule of the UDP Executive Committee led by HS Shylla, there was a proposal to start rubber plantation instead of teak in our forest areas, Lanong said.
“But this proposal never came through. If we form the EC then we would definitely take a call on whether to adopt or reject the proposal,” Lanong said.
The UDP working president said that the party would try to uphold the various provisions mandated in the Sixth Schedule.
“We would try to protect and preserve the various traditional culture and practices of the indigenous people,” Lanong said.
He said that there has been a criticism on the failure of the council to comply with provisions under the Trading by Non-Tribal Regulation, 1954.
“Rampant issuance of trading licenses by the Council has been a point of debate in the various courts including the Supreme Court,” the UDP working president said.
In their commitment to protect the interest of the small indigenous trader, he said that they would take all possible steps to disallow non-tribals from retaining monopoly in the any of the businesses.
He also spoke of the party’s promises to strengthen administration of justice with the setting up of village courts in various villages to dispose cases relating to petty offences.
“We would also try to renew and improve the functioning of the various traditional institutions like Hima, Raid and Dorbar Shnong. We would prevent politicization these traditional institutions,” Lanong added.