SHILLONG: Congress legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh has expressed concern over crime against men while dealing with crime against women.
While admitting rising crimes against women, Lyngdoh told in the Assembly during the debate on Governor’s address that there was new trend of crime against men
She added that many men were also harassed in cases involving crime against women.
Speaking about the increase in other crimes in her constituency, she said for the last two and a half months, 38crimes were registered in which monthly theft and burglary were committed.
Maximum offences were drug related involving juveniles and only a few arrests were made, Lyngdoh said.
She raised concern over the high incidents of pick pocketing in Police Bazaar and Bara Bazaar areas.
Availability of medicines
On the health and medical front, pointing to the approval by the state cabinet on the Free Drugs Policy by which 76 essential drugs shall be provided free of cost to patients, she sought the information about such drugs .
She said poor people did not find medicines in Civil Hospital and hence approached private pharmacies.
Farmers’ plight
Pointing to 1917iTEAMS which is supposed to help farmers, Lyngdoh said that she had registered with the portal but maintained that there was no progress when she wanted to get to buyers of products. She observed the famers have to finally fall back to dalals in the market.
ODF status
Again, Lyngdoh pointed to the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status accorded to the state and said the ODF status needed assessment.
She said the villagers were given only one commode but they were left to fend for themselves with no walls and no water.
Coal mining
Referring to illegal coal mining, she said the Governor’s address mentioned the preparation of geological report and feasibility study and said such documents should be made public for the people to have access to documents.
Amendment to Sixth Schedule
Commenting on the Amendment to Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, she said there are too many gaps and took exception to the word “Territorial” council which she argued has a lot of political indicators. She expressed surprise over the sudden change of name from District Council to Territorial council.
Hawkers’ issue
She said the Governor’s address did not make a mention of hawkers as she rued the presence of many hawkers as there is no space to walk, drive and sought the government’s move to tackle the hindrance posed by the hawkers.