Editor,
The Hills Division of the Public Health Engineering Department of Meghalaya is ailing. It is learnt that this division has suffered from funds allocation for the last one year. It seems that this particular division is quite peculiar because whenever the contractors come to meet the over-all authority of the division, they are informed that he is not well and has gone out of station for treatment. Further it is learnt that two SDOs have been promoted to Executive Engineers and transferred to other division of the PHE. Their posts have not been filled up yet and with the head absent on sick leave this Division is virtually headless.
An in depth analysis reveals that either the Government or the PHED has created this Division (Hills) just to play politics and to entice more rural voters since the said division was created with the approval of the Government at the highest level i.e. the CM’s core cabinet for providing safe clean drinking water facilities to the rural areas. But as of now, not only are the contractors finding it difficult to pay the labourers but many villages and Sordar Shnong feel that the Hills Division has been created just to feed the families of political appointees families at the cost of the public exchequer.
The point to be noted is that since the EE in question has been suffering for more than a year the Government or the concerned authority at the highest level of the Department should have appointed another competent and efficient engineer who can carry out the task at hand. In fact the present EE should be relieve from this division (Hills) and given some other Division with lesser work-load keeping in mind his health status, so that the villages under this Division do not suffer.
Yours etc.,
M. Lawai
Shillong-6
We need Adhaar number
Editor,
We are students of a Textile Institute in, Ghaziabad. We are in need of Adhaar Number for opening bank accounts in Gaziabad, since the Institute is insisting on a local bank account through which our scholarship could be released. Secondly, while filling online applications for various academic pursuits and sponsorship facilities in many institutions, one has to fill up the Adhaar number in the relevant column otherwise the online application cannot be uploaded. It is learnt that in Meghalaya as of now there is no possibility for obtaining Adhaar number as the Biometrics for the National Population Register could not be implemented, due to opposition from organizations like the KSU, FKJGP and others. Non possession of Adhaar Number has denied us many benefits in respect of our careers. We would urge these organizations not to oppose this process otherwise our careers will be hindered by not being able to gain access to financial opportunities and many poor students like us will not be able to pursue their studies outside the State without these financial concessions. We would also urge the State Government to make special arrangements for conducting Biometrics exercise for those who are in need of Adhaar Number.
Yours etc.,
Evarishisha Nongrum & Grace Nongtdu,
Shillong-14& Shillong-2 respectively
Damage suit a farce
Editor,
The Rs 31 crore damage suit against the pressure groups has dragged on for a year now. Hardly anyone from the pressure groups/ NGOs who are named in the suit have ever bothered to show up at any of these hearings. The contempt with which the pressure groups have treated the Government’s demand is indicative of the fact that nobody is likely to pay up. The case will drag on forever and will be shelved once a backroom deal is struck between Government and pressure groups. This is a farce being played on the citizens of Meghalaya. The Government is merely going through the motions without real intent. Whoever drew up the figure of Rs 31 crore must also explain how they arrived at such a pitiful figure. And what about the loss of lives? Don’t human lives hold any value for the Government of Meghalaya? Otherwise will the Government tell us how many people have stood trial for the gruesome murders committed by pressure groups during the ILP agitation? Let me guess the answer – NONE. This is all we need to know to decipher Mukul Sangma’s real intentions. The CM may as well declare general amnesty for all such crimes now and in the future. Nobody ever need explain why the Government does not have the backbone to prosecute cold-blooded murderers if they belong to some faction of armed insurgents, NGOs/ pressure groups or the coal mafia. The Rs. 31 crore suit will never lead to a single paise being recovered, mark my words.
Yours etc.,
Kennedy Marak
Via email