People suffer amid ‘tussle between MLA, Min’

SHILLONG: The delay in the appointment of a full-fledged Block Development Officer (BDO) in the Mawphlang Community & Rural Development Block Office has created lot of difficulties for people residing in the villages falling under the block office.
The Mawphlang C&RD Block Office is without a BDO for over three months and at present the BDO of Mylliem C&RD Block has been given its additional charge.
Sources allege that a tussle between District Council Affairs Minister HDR Lyngdoh and local MLA Kennedy C Khyriem has led to the delay in the appointment of the BDO.
Both the legislators wanted the officer of their choice to be appointed as the BDO and sources say that both are lobbying with Community and Rural Development Minister Prestone Tynsong on the issue.
Moreover, the department wanted to appoint two of the officers as the BDO of Mawphlang.
“But in view of the objection from both the DCA Minister and Mawphlang MLA, the appointment has been deferred,” sources claimed.
Khyriem, however, has denied that there was any tussle between him and the DCA Minister and said that the C&RD department is expected to appoint the new BDO within a week.
“I will try to follow up with the department to ensure that the BDO is appointed at the earliest,” the Mawphlang MLA said.
The reaction of the DCA Minister on the matter could not be obtained as his mobile phone was switched off.
The Mawphlang C&RD Block Office covers 246 villages with around 72,000 people.
For over three months now the villagers are facing a lot of difficulties due to the unavailability of the BDO.