SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the police force in the State are working under challenging circumstances and there is bound to be slips which, he said, would be dealt with according to the provisions of the law.
North Garo Hills district had recently witnessed a firing incident that resulted in injury to three civilians.
Inaugurating the upgraded Kharkutta Police Station on Saturday, the chief minister said the Government studied all the areas of disparity and had taken steps to create new police stations, blocks and sub-divisions according to priority.
“There is still so much left to be done for the people of the State, but we cannot do it overnight,” he said and added that he was aware of the needs of the people of the area and assured that Kharkutta PHC would also be upgraded to CHC soon.
He said the new police station will create opportunities for local youths and it should also serve as a coaching centre for job seekers in different security forces.
Stating that Kharkutta is one of the largest constituencies in the State and one of the most difficult areas, Sangma said his government’s policy was to look at such areas where gap in development is more, particularly those areas along the Assam-Meghalaya border, and came up with a scheme called Inter-State Border Area Development Programme (ISBADP).
In the social sector, he informed that the government has come up with a new scheme for opening community colleges which will get “sufficient government fund” but will be run by the community.
In this Budget Session, the highest ever allocation of over Rs 1,700 crore was made for community development so as to enable the people in the areas to have proper income source through various schemes, the chef minister said.
Sangma also announced an “attendance-linked assistance” of Rs 5,000 each for students undergoing higher studies on condition that they fulfil a minimum of 80 percent attendance to prevent dropout.
He said a corpus fund has been created for the Education Department to make advance payment to students whose scholarships are delayed.
On road connectivity problem, the chief minister referred to the PMGSY road at Dokongsi in North Garo Hills that was abandoned halfway and asked PWD officials to submit a proposal for completion of the road.
He said the Government would grant Rs 80 lakh under convergence mode of investment for the road project.
A Forest Protection Force under the Department of Forest and Environment was also proposed and the chief minister was hopeful that it would provide job opportunities for hundreds of youths.
The chief minister and other dignitaries also gave away laptops to 10 candidates who passed in the first division in the last SSLC and HSSLC exams, a scheme which was started by the local MLA two years ago.
