Policemen doubling as coal barons in West Khasi Hills
Mawshynrut MLA Witting Mawsor (HSPDP) has alleged that many police personnel are still involved in the coal business along the coal belt areas of West Khasi Hills.
Participating in the debate on Governor’s address, Mawsor alleged that some police personnel continued to carry out coal business and even ran trucks tarnsporting coal.
Stating that at a time when common businessmen are finding it difficult to continue with the trade in the wake of the the NGT ban on coal mining, the police personnel-cum-coal barons were having a gala time.
CT scan machine row: Health Minister under fire
South Tura Legislator John Leslee K Sangma slammed Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek for allegedly giving misleading statements as far as purchase of a CT scan machine for Tura Civil Hospital is concerned.
Sangma was disappointed after Hek replied that there was no new purchase of CT scan machine for the hospital.
“The reply of the Minister has lowered the prestige of this House. He (Hek) is contradicting the statement he made in the last Summer Session when he had said that the CT scan machine was available at the hospital. This is tantamount to misleading the House,” Sangma said.
In reply, Hek claimed that he has not misled the House since the question pertained to fresh purchase of CT scan machines.
“There is no fresh proposal for purchasing a CT scan machine in Tura Civil Hospital. It is true that there is a CT scan machine in the hospital which is no longer functional,” the Health and Family Welfare Minister said.
Reacting to the reply, the South Tura legislator said that he had specifically put this question since he was assured by both the Minister and the Director of Health Services during his meeting with them that they are going to provide new CT scan machine to the hospital.
“I am surprised that the Minister referred to the CT scan machine which is non-functional. I am not bothered about the dysfunctional machine; my concern is when will the government provide new CT scan machine to the hospital,” he said.
Clement fails to reply on status of power projects
Power Minister Clement Marak failed to give a convincing reply on the status of the hydro power projects in the State which were handed to private developers.
The Power Minister also failed to give a specific reply to a supplementary question of Shillong West legislator Paul Lyngdoh on the tentative deadline being set by the Government for the various projects to take off.
In his reply during the Question Hour on Friday, Marak said that the time frame for completion of the projects will depend on the installed capacity of each project and can be finalized after the Techno Economic Clearance (TEC), forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest and all the other necessary clearance of the DPR are received.
The Power Minister further informed that any power project below 100 MW will take around seven years to complete while projects above 100 MW will take around eight years to complete.
Meanwhile, he informed that currently private developers are surveying and investigating eight hydro power projects.
Similarly, three thermal power projects are under various stages of investigation.
Saleng slams govt over GH law and order situation
Independent MLA Saleng Sangma on Friday alleged that killings and other illegal activities have risen in Garo Hills ever since the current Government came to power.
Participating in the debate on Governor’s address, Sangma said, “Even I am scared to enter Garo Hills; it has turned into a war zone.”
Sangma termed unemployment as the main evil plaguing Garo Hills as jobless youths join the various militant outfits.
The MLA also slammed the State Government for branding Meghalaya as an education destination. “Many students from the state have to go outside for their studies,” he pointed out.
Pangniang raises NGT ban, talks with ultras
HSPDP MLA KP Pangniang urged the State Government to find a way to lift the NGT ban on coal mining.
Participating in the debate on the Governor’s address, Paniang said that there has been a substantial decline in the state’s resources due to the NGT ban.
Meanwhile, Paniang also said that the government should not wait for the various banned outfits to shed their criminal activities to go ahead with talks with them.
He also expressed concern over the poor connectivity along the inter-state border and called for the need to improve the roads.
Demand for valid permits for autos operating in Tura
Transport Minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh has assured that he would direct the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) of West Garo Hills to re-examine the demand of the auto-rickshaws drivers from other areas who are operating in Tura town for conversion of the permit.
“I will ask the RTA to re-examine the matter,” Lyngdoh assured the House on Friday.
The Transport Minister made this assurance to a demand by South Tura legislator John Leslee Sangma.
Earlier, Lyngdoh informed that the delay in conversion of the permit was because Tura’s vehicle density had increased tremendously in the past few years which had caused great inconvenience to traffic movement in Tura.
“Therefore, the RTA has decided to stop conversion of permits until further orders,” Lyngdoh added.
However, Sangma refused to buy Lyngdoh’s arguments saying that these auto rickshaws would not add to the traffic congestion since all those autos had been operating in Tura for the last two years.
Sangma also said that the auto drivers were subjected to harassment since they were being forced to pay fines to the tune of Rs.2000 for not possessing the relevant permit.
Action sought against ‘absentee’ Tura DTO
Meanwhile, the South Tura legislator also raised the issue of the continuous absence of the District Transport Officer (DTO) of Tura from his office.
“I have been informed that the DTO is in office for only two to three days in a month. This has put the general public in great difficulties since they are not able to renew or register their vehicles or pay their taxes,” Sangma said, while adding that he had also personally visited the office and found that the DTO’s room was locked.
He urged the Government to take stringent action against the concerned DTO for remaining absent from duty.
Interestingly, the Transport Minister said that no official report had been received on the absence of the DTO from his office.
1675 vehicles fined for violation of MV Act
Fines were imposed on as many as 1,675 vehicles for plying without Emission Testing Certificates (pollution certificate) under the Motor Vehicles Act during April to December 2014.
This was informed by Transport Minister HDR Lyngdoh while replying to a query during Question Hour in the Assembly on Friday.
“This is a reflection of the stringent steps taken by the department against those plying without pollution certificates,” Lyngdoh said.
He also informed that the State Government has taken steps to regulate the pollution caused by vehicles by setting up Emission Testing Stations and subjecting vehicles to periodic test.
The Transport Minister also informed that there are 11 testing stations which are privately owned besides those being run by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MPSCB).
To a question of South Tura legislator John Lelsee K Sangma, he said that both the private owned testing stations in Tura are not functional at the moment.