SHILLONG: The 70 members of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) from Nongstoin who started their 93-km protest march on Tuesday reached the city on Thursday afternoon.
Speaking to media persons, HYC Nongstoin president Lumlang Kharsyiemlieh said the district lacks infrastructure and the government should pay heed to their demands for various facilities.
“Nongstoin is still under-developed even after 41 years of its existence as district headquarters. There should be proper road connectivity between Nongstoin and Mawkyrwat and the same should be designated as highway. There should also be a two-lane road from Sohpian to Nongstoin from the existing Nongstoin-Tura National Highway,” said Kharsyiemlieh.
The HYC members gathered at the parking lot of the Additional Secretariat and their leaders went to the Secretariat to hand over a memorandum to the personal assistant of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
Enumerating HYC’s demands, Kharsyiemlieh said a government college must be set up and it should be named after the leader Hopingstone Lyngdoh.
Among the charter of demands were demands for improving facilities in agriculture, sports and healthcare.
The memorandum stated that district offices of several departments, like tax and labour, are functioning from rented space, which is proof of the government’s step-motherly treatment of West Khasi Hills.
Demanding that the district jail in Nongstoin should be completed at the earliest, the HYC members called for construction of a public auditorium.
Resolution of boundary issues and the contentious issue of mining were also in HYC’s agenda.
“Where will our indigenous labourers go if mining operations are handed over to a private company? We demand that the state government should come up with a mining policy,” said Kharsyiemlieh.
The HYC Nongstoin circle also gave their support to Save Hynniewtrep Mission launched by the central body of the council.
Kharsyiemlieh claimed that HYC had been sending reminders to the chief minister but with no result.
“If the state government remains indifferent to our demands and democratic protests, we are prepared to resort toother means,” he added.
Member falls sick
One of the members of HYC Nongstoin Circle, Oliver Twist Marngar from Nongdiwah, fell ill and was admitted in Civil Hospital, Shillong on Thursday.
