Editor,
In connection with the news item appearing in the front page of your esteemed daily under heading “12 member NGT panel….”, (ST March 17, 2021), your reporter has used the term “…dismiss the Justice BD Agarwal Committee”. The word dismiss attributed to me was never quoted from my end while giving my observation on the development. As Hon’ble NGT has closed proceedings in the entire case, Justice GD Agarwal Committee of NGT for Meghalaya, after the closure, automatically stands dissolved and the 12 member oversight committee, constituted by NGT in its March 15, 2021 order, shall assume charge, to ensure implementation of all NGT and Supreme Court orders issued since imposition of ban on coal mining in the state.
I request you to kindly issue a corrigendum for which I shall remain grateful.
Yours etc
Naba Bhattacharjee
Shillong-4
Marten a mountain of garbage
Editor,
I happened to drive through Marten earlier this week because of a project. A place I had visited a few years back with fresh landfill sites and processing units for segregated waste, now seems to have transformed itself into a mammoth mountain of garbage with no demarcation what so ever. It’s sad to see how none of the machines are in use and the only activity happening there would be the blazing white fumes flowing through the entire place. I’m imagining a few years down the line, the only other option for waste disposal would be to cross borders and ask others to take our trash. Why aren’t we doing something about this?
We had international experts coming into the state to help us with better waste management practices and solutions, but as is the case with everyone else coming into our state to help, they get shown the exit sign, and we end up only procuring the hardware. The segregation processes that had been put into place in the state have also lost steam.
Marten is a disaster waiting to happen and it is entirely our fault. A new waste processing and disposal facility which should have been the top priority of the government of the day is being ignored completely. Political leaders are talking about waste to energy plants and South Korean solutions to help with waste management but all we see are fumes slowly but steadily choking up our city.
We can turn a blind eye to all this today, but how long can we ignore an awaiting catastrophe. Marten has lived it’s life. Shouldn’t our priority be to find an alternative site for waste disposal?
Yours etc.,
Emica Nongkynrih
Via email
MeECL a white elephant
Editor,
While the common people have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay their inflated power bills, the state – owned electricity supply corporation – MeECL seems to outwit other ‘elephants’ present in and around the state by granting contractual supply work to firms outside the state for its so-called improvement while at the same time turning itself into a unique ‘white elephant’. It is astonishing to note that the cost to supply chairs, tables, UPS, CPU system, computer monitor, printer, scanner, sever system and all the gadgets to make itself ‘hi-tech’ (pun intended) has been inflated to the tune of Rs 3.36 lakh per work station. To add insult to injury, the “corporation mafia” as I would call them have allowed the purchase of a ‘networked laser jet printer’ at an exorbitant cost of Rs 1,19,888 without probably going through the technical aspects of such a cost. My question is how such highly inflated bills will be paid by the MeECL management. Are they planning to transform the “White Elephant” corporation into something of a ‘Space Station’ or into some ‘Super Power Station?’ If that is the case they had better also equip their brains with some good mathematics for a public audit when demanded.
Yours etc..
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar
Shillong-3
Take strict action against Covid protocol violators
Editor,
With a huge spike in Covid 19 cases again in different states, the Health Department has issued guidelines to contain the virus and advised citizens to wear masks and maintain social distance in public places. Spitting and smoking in public places should be prohibited. Surprisingly several people in Shillong fail to strictly follow Covid appropriate guidelines. I urge upon the authorities to take strict action against those who violate the Covid protocols since the virus as stated by some doctors is here to stay. We cannot have a situation like that in Maharashtra and other states where Covid cases have risen exponentially.
Yours etc.,
Prasenjit Das Purkayastha,
Shillong- 4
Politicians and their blame game
Editor,
Why are our politicians playing the blame game when it comes to the MeECL? Ms Angela Rangad has pointed out that so many wrong deals are happening in the Saubhagya Scheme to be undertaken by the MeECL. How long can the Power Minister deny all the wrongdoings in the Corporation? When he was Home Minister he handled that portfolio badly by allowing illegal coal mining and transportation to carry on. After him Mr Lahkmen Rymbui stepped into the Home Department. But is there any change in the illegal coal mining business? No there isn’t. Why? Because corruption is written into the DNA of the MDA Government! Now the MeECL will sink into a deeper mess.
Yours etc.,
GM Nongrum,
Via email