Editor
It is deeply troubling that no pressure group has ever taken up the issue of pensioners and their plight. Even the MLAs who have been elected to serve the society as “public servants,” have ignored this issue. Today there are a number of cases of pensioners not getting their dues and they faced a very difficult time during the pandemic. I am aware of some government departments that have not done justice to the pensioners. There are cases of persons who have retired from service but their service book records have not been updated and hence no pension has been paid. It is sad that while an MLA is eligible to draw his pension even if he serves only for one tenure of five years, the common man has to run from pillar to post for his or her rights. This state of affairs is pathetic and one that cannot be defined as “good” governance for the state.
Yours etc.,
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar,
Via email
Another backdoor deal?
Editor,
Meghalaya Cabinet has finally approved the proposal to hand over the so-called 5 Star hotel under construction in the land of Shillong Municipality at Jail Road to a new company by the name of Maxim Infrastructure and Real Estate Pvt Ltd. This entire deal appears to be a sham and the process that was adopted to finalise the arrangement is nothing short of a cover up to hoodwink the people, A little scrutiny will reveal that the new company is nothing but old wine in a new bottle. The connection between HM Cements the old lease and Maxim Infrastructure and Real Estate Pvt Ltd can be easily established if one cares to google search it. The important question is why did the National Company Law Tribunal have to intervene in deciding a straight case of a private party defaulting in an agreement and taking the State Government for a ride.
This was a project on a PPP node and the party had defaulted on many counts. It was for the State Government to prosecute the company, recover the losses and retrieve the project as per the agreement executed earlier. Nothing of the sort happened and instead the same party is being favoured but in a new name. Every citizen of the State wants the project to be completed and the new hotel to start functioning. But nobody wants the same to happen through nefarious means and backdoor routes. This can only happen if there are monetary deals on the sidelines. Where was the so-called transparent process followed to finalise the new company? Was there any open tender? I for one have not seen any tender being floated in any newspaper. How were the outstanding dues of the old company fixed at Rs 2.5 crores? The old company has been in possession of the land for over 10 years. One needs to calculate the annual lease rent with the number of years the party has been in possession of the land and the penalty thereon to determine the outstanding dues. There must also be a share of revenue to be paid to Shillong Municipality.
The amount determined as outstanding appears to be grossly underestimated. Over and above that, why is the new company made to pay the penalty for the fault of the first party and why in God’s name is the new company agreeing to pay the same for no fault of theirs? This clearly reveals that the original company has come back but in a new suit. As citizens, we were given to understand that this project was taken up since Shillong Municipality did not have resources to reconstruct its own office and a PPP approach would ensure an office space for the municipality apart from a share of the revenue earned from the project. Nothing of that sort happened and today Shillong Municipality is being kicked out of its own land and the entire property will be converted in the name of a private company. As a token gesture, a small office will be constructed in some corner by the private firm with patronage of the State Government.
I won’t be surprised if some forest land has been de notified for the purpose. No wonder our Forest Officers are such favoured people these days. It is sad that Shillong Municipality which should have been a premiere civic body playing a pivotal role in development of Shillong, is systematically being starved and destroyed by successive governments. While everybody demands for civic services and cleanliness in the city, nobody really bothers to enquire why elections are not held; why the staff does not get their salary for months; why the assets are sold off without any benefit to the municipality. Sad to say but this is the state of affairs in Meghalaya today.
People are taken for granted or as fools not to question but to do and die. A day will certainly come when answers will have to be given.
Yours etc.,
L Surong,
Shillong-3