SHILLONG [Nov 10]: Opposition Congress MLA from Ri Bhoi, Mayralborn Syiem, on Tuesday, demanded more funds to be earmarked for border villages stating that lands of Meghalaya are being encroached by Assam day by day due to lack of development in the villages.
He said this during the question hour round moved by Congress MLA, Winnerson D Sangma, on the allotment of funds for Kalaichar and Dalu.
The discussion, which started with the allotment of funds for Kalaichar in South West Garo Hills and Dalu in West Garo Hills Border Area Development Offices (BADOs), respectively, stretched into a lengthy debate on the state of affairs of the villages lying along the interstate boundary with Assam.
“Our lands, day by day, are being encroached by Assam due to lack of development. The government should earmark more funds for the border villages,” suggested Lyngdoh.
The MLA stated that in 2018, he learnt that as many as 23 villages, especially Mawhati and Jirang, which lie along the interstate boundary with Assam, were not notified to avail the border area scheme.
Despite being apprised of the matter, he said the department has given no ear and there has been no notification whatsoever till date.
Informing that Rs 2.5 crore had been sanctioned out of which only Rs 11 lakh was earmarked, Lyngdoh said he wants to draw the attention of the government so as to expedite the implementation of the developmental schemes in the bordering villages.
Meanwhile, Minister in charge of Border Areas Development, Lahkmen Rymbui, has assured of looking into the matter. “The funds allocated are a drop in the ocean, but I’ll see how much we can earmark and that it is from the state plan,” he said.
Rymbui informed that the allotment of fund for Kalaichar is Rs 217.33 lakh under Special Central Assistance (Border Area Development Programme) for the year 2018-19 and Rs 274.18 lakh for 2019-20. Similarly, for Dalu the allotment of fund is Rs 198.55 lakh for the year 2018-19 and Rs 228.45 lakh for 2019-20.
It was further informed that an amount of Rs 190 lakh under BADP-Additional Fund 2018-19 has been allotted under Dalu Border Block.
The allotment of fund under Interstate Border Areas Development Programme for Kalaichar is Rs 2.84 lakh for the year 2018-19 and nil for the year 2019-20. While the fund allotment for Dalu is Rs 9.84 lakh for 2018-19 and nil for 2019-20.
Raising a supplementary query, Congress MLA Zenith Sangma questioned as the eligibility of Dalu as it is in the international border. He said the department has made mistake as far as selecting and indentifying is concerned.
To this, Rymbui said the scheme was proposed from the district-level committee and the department releases the funds if available. The minister further assured to find out if there was any blunder. If found so, the department has to tell the selection committee not to sanction, he said.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma inquired whether the state government has decided to abandon the Interstate Border Development Programme, to which Rymbui said that there was no question of discounting the programme.