TURA: Members of the Tura Garo Senior Citizens Forum recently held a meeting wherein they decided to apprise the state government about the need to address the problems being faced by the people of the town.
The forum members are calling on the government to take urgent steps to mitigate the water shortage impacting the citizens of the town.
“There is a severe water crisis in Tura. Who is responsible? Is it the government or the district council?” questioned forum president W G Momin.
The forum alleged that despite the district council water works department having a huge workforce the field staff were not repairing leaking pipes for weeks and months. The fast disappearing of the catchment areas leading to water crisis was also pointed out by the forum which is calling upon the government to create a separate division for its permanent management and protection.
The delay on completion of the Ganol hydel project to provide power to Tura has also been criticised by the elderly citizens who complain of frequent power cuts and demanded that accountability be sought from the power department.
Tura has one of the highest cost of labour and the citizens forum has complained that exorbitant charges are being demanded which is causing immense difficulties for the public.
“As per the Government notification in January 2019, the maximum wages cannot cross the mark of Rs 300 and Rs 420 but labourers are taking way beyond that. Social organizations need to check this menace,” demanded the citizens body. They also alleged that cement is being sold without proper labelling which is giving huge profits to dealers and causing immense loss to the buyer.
The senior citizens group have decided to ask the government to allot a plot in Tura for their forum office, control the noise pollution in the town and establish of a pollution control certificate station in the town.
“There is not a single pollution control station in the entire five districts of Garo Hills and vehicles from our side that enter Assam are frequently fined because of this,” pointed out the forum while urging the government to establish one at the earliest.