Border residents cashless: Roy

SHILLONG: The Congress-led MUA-II Government has neglected the border areas of the state and the sufferings of the people due to ban on limestone and lack of other initiatives, UDP chief Donkupar Roy, who hails from the border area, said on Sunday.
“There is no cash with people of my constituency due to the ban on limestone as majority depends on limestone-related activities,” he said. He said the small-time labourers are the worst sufferers as they have no other alternate livelihood.
According to Roy who represents Shella constituency, border residents do not know the reason why suddenly limestone mining was stopped.
“The authorities should have given at least six months’ time to the border residents to be prepared before the ban and the subsequent passing of the new rules,” Roy said.
He also said that the government had not offered any alternate livelihood initiatives.
NFSA items
Roy said that the government has not provided cards to some deserving beneficiaries to avail of items under NFSA.
“The government has not provided cards under NFSA to the genuine residents of Shella like Garos, Hajongs and Bengalis to avail of food grains,” Roy said seeking the intervention of the government.