SHILLONG: Meghalaya is likely to miss the festival fervour gifted by the previous government each year as the new MDA government is tightening its purse strings in view of its strained financial health.
To a question on huge expenditure incurred due to various festivals in the state, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said such initiatives must have a capping with a limited expenditure.
“As a chief minister, I will focus more on creating assets when it comes to tourism and though such initiatives are required for the purpose of tourism but definitely you cannot use 70-80 per cent of your budget for festivals,” he added.
The government will also avoid laying “ghost foundation stones” in the state.
Though the chief minister did not directly refer to the previous government’s obsession with laying foundation stones, he said laying foundation stones for the sake of getting a name should be avoided.
What prompted the chief minister to refer to the foundation stone was the question asked by NPP legislator Rupert Momin regarding the foundation stone for a PHC laid by former minister ED Marak several years ago.
BJP’s Sanbor Shullai, who had a similar question, said it may be a ghost foundation stone as it was taking several years to start.
Rongara-Siju legislator Rakkam Sangma also referred to the non-functioning PHC at Karukol.
The legislators, cutting across party lines urged the government to improve the health facilities in rural areas of the state.
Zenith Sangma, Ampareen Lyngdoh, Dikkanchi Shira, Kimfa Marbaniang and George Lyngdoh (all Congress) raised specific questions on health facilities.
While Ampareen pointed out the need to improve the urban health centre in Malki, Shullai urged the government to uplift Red Cross Hospital at Laban.
Adelbert Nongrum of KHNAM wanted to know how many hospitals, PHCs and sub-centres are functioning.
