Editor,
This is in response to the article published in The Shillong Times (ST Jan 16, 2015) and the allegations raised by two NGOs. The decision for instituting parking fees was initiated by the hospital authorities after they pleaded that there is so much of rampant double parking , disorderly and rampant wrong parking that even hospital ambulances and vehicles including 108 vehicles have been obstructed . All kind of vehicles are allowed unrestricted entry in the hospital premises and upon requests that they could park outside to minimize inconvenience to hospital ambulances, emergency vehicles and 108 vehicles – the request is met with hostility. There is no dearth of free and open parking space for bigger vehicles in the open fields near the civil hospital wherein they could respond to emergencies within a short time upon telephonic call. The hospital authorities cited all these problems hampering the functioning of the hospital, regular harassment of their staff when they try to organize the parking and they decided that the entry has to be discouraged by instituting some mechanism or else the patients brought in critical conditions like accident or blast cases suffer where even a few minutes delay makes the difference between life and death. I am surprised at the rabid opposition and we shall have a meeting shortly of the hospital authorities to discuss the matter.
Yours etc.,
Pravin Bakshi,
DC, West Garo Hills,
Tura
Incomplete projects
Editor,
The photograph of an incomplete construction of a public urinal near Talents Club (ST Jan 15, 2015) , reminded one of such pending projects of the governments. Look at the Crowborough Hotel located in the heart of the city that has taken and will still take a very long time to complete. And of course what can be said about the State’s Assembly building! Several years have gone by and governments have changed hands yet the one thing that is constant is inaction and lethargy of those at the helm of affairs. Are we then surprised about the incomplete construction of a public urinal? When a building of pride and importance like the Assembly building is not prioritised how can a public urinal see the light of day?.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
On Headmen issue
Editor,
I would like to congratulate Oscar R Marwein( ST Jan 7, 2015) for calling a spade a spade. Further, I may add that unlike the sarpanches under the Panchayati Raj system in other parts of the country, the headmen in our state are not elected by the residents; they are only selected by a few. During the election of a headman even if one is against a particular candidate or aspirant, one dares not to oppose him for fear of violence or victimization. The headmen system in Khasi and Jaintia Hills is not democratic. So where is the locus standi to empower headmen? With the exception of Laitumkhrah Dorbar, female members are not allowed to take part in the meetings, not to dream of having universal franchise in this respect. The recent Bill passed by the KHADC on headmen and village administration is anti-women as it ignores half the population of the society. It is in fact anti people. Such Bills ought to be scrapped forthwith without wasting time. We are fortunate that we have a Court of Law which is sensitive towards bringing equality and safeguarding the lives and liberty of the people, otherwise we would have been swamped by power hungry individuals who for their own interest create confusion and impose miseries on the common man. Lastly, I would urge upon the headmen who are selected by the locality, to forget about such intricate issues but to be God fearing, humble and devote their time to social works like monthly or weekly cleaning drives in the locality and market places; visit and help the poor and bereaved families, educate the poor and uneducated, liaise between the locality and the government authorities for providing sufficient and potable water supply, in public distribution system, organize sports, arts and cultural functions, organize awareness camps in the locality on the evils of drug abuse, alcoholism, smoking, counsel the school dropouts to concentrate in productive activities so that they are not misguided, educate the youths of the locality to be hard working and innovative, not to waste time in loitering, teach the young ones to cherish old values and the like. By doing good works one is automatically respected, empowered and honoured by all.
Yours etc.,
Donis Lyngdoh
Shillong -1