SHILLONG: MLAs from the Opposition bench in the Meghalaya assembly on Tuesday demanded that the allocation on Special Rural Works Programme (SRWP), a component of the MLA scheme, be increased from the existing Rs 1 crore to Rs 3 crore.
Moving a special motion on the functioning of the Community and Rural Development department with reference to the SRWP and other related schemes on Tuesday, Garo National Council legislator from Chokpot Clifford R Marak said that it had been difficult for the MLAs to meet the aspirations of the people since the amount of Rs 1 crore earmarked for the SWRP was too meagre.
Referring to the problem of his constituency, Marak said the population in his constituency had increased following the delimitation of the assembly constituencies.
Informing there were only 17 polling stations before the delimitation under Chokpot constituency, he said that now, there are a total number of 43 polling stations in his constituency.
“I do not see there is any justification in allocating the same amount of funds for smaller constituencies like Dalu in Garo Hills with a total number of only 15 polling stations and a population of 15,000 only. This is a big injustice for the MLAs who represent bigger constituencies,” Marak said.
The Chokpot legislator suggested that the Government should take into account various factors like the total areas falling under a particular constituency and also its population before fixing the funds under the SWRP.
Stating that the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme was currently fixed at Rs 5 crore for each MP, Marak observed that it would not be a bad idea if the Government increase the SRWP scheme to Rs 3 crore which would be equal to two-thirds of the amount under the MP scheme. Participating in the special motion, UDP Mairang legislator Metbah Lyngdoh said the Government should consider increasing of the SRWP scheme to Rs 3 crore in the best interest of each and every member of this House. While appreciating the decision of the Government last year to increase the amount under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) from the existing Rs 45,000 to Rs 75,000 per beneficiaries, Lyngdoh however pointed out that it was totally unjustified to fix an amount of Rs 35,000 per beneficiaries for construction of the low cost housing unit under SWRP. “The amount of Rs 35,000 is too small for the beneficiaries to be able to construct the low cost housing units,” Lyngdoh said. While supporting the demand to increase the SRWP to Rs 3 crore, Opposition Leader Dr Donkupar Roy said that the MLAs had to shoulder many kinds of responsibilities like giving of financial assistance to individuals or groups and also initiating developmental programmes within his constituency. He suggested that the Government could consider initiating programmes like the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) where the MLAs could provide help to the unemployed youth like assistance in purchasing of vehicles.
“We can pay the margin money which the youths have to pay to the bank,” he said.
In reply, Community and Rural Development Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the Government would examine the proposal of the MLAs to increase the SRWP even as asserting that this should not be taken as an assurance.
While admitting that the SWRP was an important scheme since it had helped to bring in development in various rural constituencies of the State, he said that the Government had introduced a new initiative which had been named as the State Rural Development Initiative even as the Government earmarked a total amount of Rs 67.5 crore for this new scheme. He said that the department had allocated Rs 1.5 crore under the SRDI for each Community and Rural Development Block for initiating various developmental projects.Tynsong also informed that the Government had also launched a convergence programme for black topping of the roads in the rural areas.
“We have earmarked a total amount of Rs 1 crore for the 39 C&RD Blocks to initiate the process of black topping of the roads,” the Community and Rural Development Minister added.