SHILLONG, March 16: “Matter is being pursued with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India” is what Agriculture Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh had to say in reply to a query on proposed central agricultural university (CAU) in Meghalaya.
KHNAM legislator, Adelbert Nongrum, during the Question Hour, enquired if a contract is in place to set up an agricultural university at Umran Kyrdemkulai, to which Lyngdoh replied in affirmative.
Alleging that the tribals are losing out on the land to the “double standard” game played by the Centre, the KHNAM legislator claimed that the land is no longer meant for setting up an agricultural university.
However, the Agriculture minister informed that the matter, which was also taken up in the Parliament, is under examination and efforts are alive for the agricultural university.
Opposition MLA, HM Shangpliang, on the other hand, sought to know from the Agriculture minister about the sort of assurance provided by the Centre to the state.
To this, Lyngdoh said that Agriculture Ministry has assured of examining the proposal for a CAU in Meghalaya.
Shangpliang also alleged that while the government is allowing the agriculture college to function from Kyrdemkulai, the college is enrolling teaching and non-teaching staff from outside the state, thereby depriving locals of job opportunities.
