Delay in ADB funded school project
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma admitted that the ADB funded project to improve the infrastructure facilities in schools, has been slow.
Several schools were selected under “supporting human capital project” by ADB.
In reply to a question in Assembly on Thursday by Donkupar Roy (UDP) , the chief minister said that the identified schools failed to meet the necessary parameters leading to the delay .
He said a review of the whole programme will be carried out shortly after mapping all the schools which are beneficiaries of the project
“There was also delay on the part of the contractors”, he said. The chief minister said that a request will made to ADB to simply the procedures.
Earlier, in reply to a question, the School Education and Literacy Minister Deborah Marak said that the matter related to the construction of schools was entrusted to PWD.
House prorogued
Assembly Speaker AT Mondal on Thursday prorogued the House sine die.
The three-day session discussed various issues, including the plight of teachers and problems faced by the people due to the implementation of Aadhaar.
The Assembly passed the Appropriation Bill for withdrawal of over Rs 513 crore for payment during the financial year ending March 31, 2018 for various services.
The House also passed five Bills which are Meghalaya Essential Services Maintenance (Amendment) Bill 2017, Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya Members’ Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2017, Meghalaya Anatomy Bill, 2017, Meghalaya Passengers and Goods Taxation Act (Amendment) Bills 2017 and Meghalaya Nursing Council (Amendment) Bills 2017.
Speed up power projects: Opp
UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh has asked the state government to expedite the implementation of power projects in the state.
Lyngdoh initiated a discussion on the abject failure of the government to implement the power projects even though MoUs were signed in this regard with private parties a long time back.
The UDP MLA wanted to know about the government’s plan after scrapping four power projects.
He reminded the government that in the 1980s, Meghalaya was power surplus and after two decades, the situation reversed. “We are staring at huge deficit where the state has to purchase power adding to the debts,” he said.
HSPDP legislator Diosstar Jyndiang and UDP’s Jemino Mawthoh also took part in the discussion.
In his reply, the chief minister said the four power projects were scrapped since there was no favourable reply from the private power developers and the government is examining whether these scrapped projects can be given to government entities.
The chief minister said that the government will examine scrapping of more power projects which have been pending.
Later, through a cut motion, Mawthoh raised the issues related to checking distribution loss by MeECL.
An MoU was signed by the Ministry of Power, the Meghalaya Government and MePDCL in this regard.
Plight of disabled raised
UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh on Thursday raised the need to provide universal disability identity cards and other benefits to persons with disabilities.
Moving a cut motion in the Assembly on Thursday, Mawthoh said persons with disabilities are silently suffering as they are unable to get many government schemes.
He wanted to know whether the government departments are taking note of the problems being faced by the persons with disabilities.
In his reply, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said, “The message is not that we do not care for them (persons with disabilities) but we need to do more for them.”
He said the state government will implement the central initiative of providing universal disability identity cards.
Dues to MeECL
Mawthoh also raised the issue of electricity dues to MeECL by the PHE Department and wanted the government’s intervention in the matter.