SHILLONG: Like every election, this time too, certain small but pertinent issues which concern the common man, has remained ignored.
None of the candidates spoke about any proposal to introduce a dedicated bus services to connect all the district headquarters of the State, an embarrassment for Meghalaya even after 42 years of Statehood. There is even no bus service from Shillong to Jowai and people are left with no option but to depend on other modes of transportation.
There was also no assurance to bust the racket involving artificial shortage of coins as people continue to be forced to munch on sweets and chocolates instead of being offered coins as small change.
Certain localities in the city have not had the luxury of any street lights while in many localities the existing street lights have been non-functioning resulting in a rise in cases of theft and robbery.
Severe water scarcity still haunts people in both the major towns of the State – Shillong and Tura. The election agenda of the candidates fails to mention anything about the need to take up rain water harvesting by the community if not possible by each of the households.
No one has spoken about improving the condition of betel nut and orange cultivators or about subsidies to be provided to them to empower them to improve their crop production as well as their lives.
Former Principal of Shillong College, MPR Lyngdoh, said that there are several issues — price rise, security of women, 33 per cent reservation for women, corruption and unemployment — which should have been raised by the candidates.
On the other hand, a lawyer who did not wish to be identified, said that the candidates should have raised the perennial issue of traffic jams as Shillong traffic is becoming unbearable besides load shedding has also taken its toll on the residents.
