Opp slams govt for law and order lapses

SHILLONG, March 7: The Opposition on Monday came down heavily on the state government for frequent breakdown of the law and order and the government’s inability to maintain peace in the state.
Participating in the debate on the Governor’s address, Mawsynram MLA, HM Shangpliang recalled that the death of former HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew had created unrest in the state for weeks.
He also maintained that the recent IED blasts have created a sense of panic and fear among the people.
Shangpliang lauded the government for initiating peace talks with the banned HNLC, but wanted to know if the government has though of any strategy if the peace talks fail.
The AITC MLA also expressed concern over the growing rate of crimes against women and children in the state.
Reading out details, he said that in 2019, there were 293 reported cases of crime against women and children followed by 606 in 2020 and 492 cases till September last year.
Expressing concern over substance abuse in Meghalaya, Shangpliang recalled that as per a study conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice in 2019, the state has 11,420 injecting drug users.