‘MLA scheme not meant to buy gifts for people’

SHILLONG: Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh is not infavour of legislators using MLA scheme to buy gifts for the people of constituencies instead of creating public assets.
Lyngdoh chaired a meeting of the urban MLAs on Monday to discuss the issues related to implementation of Rs 2 crore MLA scheme per year and the related guidelines.
When contacted, Lyngdoh said, “It is unjust to say that funds under MLA scheme should be allocated for buying gifts for people instead of creating public assets”.
According to Lyngdoh, the government expects an MLA to attend to the needs of the   constituency, but the scheme is not meant to distribute gifts. .
She also said that there should be a common approach for execution of MLA scheme.
The meeting on Monday was attended by legislators Sanbor Shullai (South Shillong ) and Paul Lyngdoh (West Shillong)
Paul Lyngdoh later said that the meeting discussed on how to plug the loopholes in the implementation of the MLA scheme by saying that many times, the projects are sanctioned very late which adds to cost and time over run.
During the meeting, the Minister was also urged to make the Special Rural Works Programme (SRWP) more accessible to the people.
Both the legislators also stressed the need to rejuvenate the Shillong Municipal Board.
The Minister assured in the meeting that all suggestions will be incorporated in the revised guidelines for the MLA scheme which will be implemented in the year 2017-18.