SHILLONG: NPP legislator James Sangma on Thursday slammed the MUA Government for not including any schools from Garo Hills in phase 1 of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded scheme in the State.
Raising a supplementary question, Sangma questioned why Garo Hills was being treated as second class region and termed the selection process unacceptable. He also sought an apology from the Education department.
However, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Education, R.C. Laloo contended that the legislator did not deserve an apology.
Both Sangma and Laloo entered into an argument when Songsak legislator Nihim D Shira inquired how many schools from Garo Hills were included under the scheme.
The Minister replied that in the first phase 30 schools have been selected from Khasi-Jaintia Hills while in the second phase 87 schools have been selected and most of those are from Garo Hills.
Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy suggested that the Government should have selected the schools constituency- wise to which Laloo replied that the Government would try to cover all the districts.
Saleng Sangma wanted to know why the Government had selected Garo Hills-based schools in phase 2, to which the Minister replied that the ADB had first conducted the survey in Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
Later, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma also stood up and said that it was inappropriate to create a perception of discrimination since others would take advantage of it even as he stated that the assessment for the programme had started in 2012 in East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and Ri Bhoi districts.
UDP MLA Jemino Mawthoh also demanded that all areas should be covered under the scheme.
To a query from UDP MLA Paul Lyngdoh the Minister replied that four schools from Shillong were selected for the scheme.
Earlier, Lyngdoh also inquired about the fate of other schools which have not been selected under the scheme even as he informed that there are 961 secondary schools in Meghalaya. To this the minister replied that the Government would examine the matter.
Earlier, Laloo informed that 117 schools in the State have been selected under the scheme and asserted that the project was being implemented at a cost of USD 125 million with the State Government contributing USD 25 million.