SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Friday asserted in the Assembly that there was no political agenda in extending the term of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council.
While replying to the debate on the Governor’s Address, Sangma said that the state government had told the union government that it wanted to go ahead with the elections but the Centre communicated that the Amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution was in the advance process of drafting and was likely to be moved during the Budget session of Parliament.
It was necessary for the state government to honour the central government’s letter but the state government was accused of having a political agenda behind the extension of the GHADC term, the Chief Minister said, while adding that the state government could not dissolve the GHADC due to certain provisions of the Constitution.
Influx issue: Entry, exit points identified
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Friday asserted that the state government has identified the entry and exit points to check infiltration into the state.
Replying to the debate on the Governor’s Address in the Assembly on Friday, Sangma said that the state government has come a long way in structuring modalities for a comprehensive mechanism which is capable of dealing with influx.
According to Sangma, the state government has already issued necessary directions for acquisition of land to create infrastructures at the entry and exit points.
He also pointed out that the entry and exit points in the state will be operationalised in phase wise manners and further informed that entry and exit points would also be set up at railway stations and airports in the state.
Mukul resents multi categorization of
teachers, schools
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has expressed concern over the way schools and teachers are categorized in the state.
Replying to the debate on the Governor’s Address, Sangma said that the state government was trying to correct the same.
Admitting that the state government has not been able to provide the right kind of training to the teachers, the Chief Minister said that the state government would have to mop up resources for the crucial education sector.
Speaking of the positives, Sangma informed that lot of investments has been made and new ITIs and new courses have been identified. He also spoke of the government’s intent to develop polytechnics in all the districts of the state.
Stressing on the need to set up more residential schools in the state, Sangma said that a large number of parents were uneducated and therefore the students do not get much help at home. Considering this, the government has come up with the idea of setting up residential schools, he added.
CM seeks report on eviction drive in Tura
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has sought a report on the eviction drive conducted in Tura against the structures which have come up on the pavements.
According to Sangma, a number of developmental activities have been taken up in Garo Hills and the said that the government has to encounter encroachers and it becomes difficult to get them vacated which leads to delay in implementation of certain projects. In some cases the projects had to be withdrawn, he added.
Sangma also asserted that the government has come up with the concept of Lay By Market under which the government would create infrastructure along with storage facilities for women who wish to open and run road side stalls along the highways.
He also said that money has been provided to the PWD and the Urban Affairs department to develop parking bays at embarkation and disembarkation point of buses and taxis to address the issue of traffic congestion, adding that the government would have to acquire land for the purpose.
“I don’t believe in the idea of smart cities but livable cities,” he said, adding that the government has constituted a committee to negotiate with people to get the right of way particularly the road connecting Shillong with New Shillong Township.
