Shillong, March 9: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has slammed the former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma for not taking any decision on the vexed boundary dispute with Assam
Replying to the debate on Governor’s address, he said that the former Chief Minister for eight years held on to the matter and there was no solution to the dispute.
He added both Assam and Meghalaya were now very close to resolving the dispute in six locations.
On the Sixth Schedule amendment, the Chief Minister pointed out that the state government made it clear to the Centre that the state would not accept the word unscheduled tribe.
” We have given in writing that we will not accept the word unscheduled tribe,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister further said that some relief would be given to SSA teachers before the end of the financial year.
Replying to the discussion, the Chief Minister said that there were different categories of teachers and there was no severe backlog for the salary of the teachers as the state Government was paying the salary.
” We admit there are issues for SSA teachers,” Sangma said while admitting that problems crop up as the State Government does not receive funds from the Centre on time.
He said that not only in Meghalaya, even other states faced the similar delays and though Meghalaya Government sometimes use buffer stock, the amount of salary to be paid to teachers is huge.
Chief Minister informed the House that 3000 street lights will be changed in the capital Shilllong under the Smart Shilllong city project.
He said that new LED lights would also be installed in the city and all these smart street lights would be connected to integrated control command centre.
Talking about garbage waste management, he said that the Government would examine the idea of different scientific waste disposal.
He said that a Korean company in Tura was trying to convert plastic waste into energy and he was optimistic that the idea would work.
It was also informed that the Government is going to setup four parking lots in Shillong which would accommodate 1400 vehicles