Editor
Enough has been said about the traffic congestion in Shillong, which is only getting worse over the years and with no solution in the foreseeable future. Anyone commuting within the city or coming to Shillong from nearby areas knows what it takes to reach our destinations. I have been living in this city for the last 10 years and traffic congestion is getting worse with each passing day. The traffic police personnel do their best to regulate it (I have no qualms saying that Shillong Traffic Police is one of the most efficient and dutiful in the country), but thousands of cars thronging and clogging narrow roads, at times renders them helpless. Although this congestion is a perennial problem, it is most acute during school hours. The State Government is apparently thinking of introducing school buses, but this plan should fructify as soon as possible. There might be some initial resistance, but introducing mandatory school bus service will certainly help ease this congestion especially during the morning hours. Secondly, it seems that most of the congestion occurs because of numerous crossing points along the roads. If the traffic flows continuously even at a slow pace, the problem would have been much less. Apparently, the greater challenge lies in keeping a smooth flow of traffic without frequent stop and start rather than controlling the number of vehicles on the road. If the government can come up with some innovative designs to circumvent these Achilles heels and keep traffic flowing in all directions at these junctions, it will be a lesser evil.
To make matters worse, people’s driving behavior has degenerated Shillong proudly held the badge as a city of disciplined drivers, but not anymore. In my initial years in Shillong, I happily observed cars patiently waiting in long queues at traffic stops and not a single car overtaking. But people have become impatient now. Breaking queues and overtaking at traffic stops have become commonplace. This doesn’t help anyone, rather it causes more inconvenience to the incoming vehicles in narrow alleys. It also causes irritation in the minds of other motorists who are patiently waiting in queues for a long time. Shillong Traffic Police, kindly take notice and penalize such unruly drivers. We should not allow such undisciplined behavior to gradually creep into our habits. Another worrying behavior I lately noticed is some motorists nonchalantly stopping the car on the road and engaging in brief yet lively talk with fellow drivers or roadside shopkeepers. They are unmindful of the inconvenience caused to other vehicles behind them, more so, when people are already stressed with traffic congestion. Recently, I lost my cool and yelled at one such person as I was already tense and trying to make it to office on time. Such mental stress could have easily escalated to road rage.
At the end, I wish Government comes up with plans and implements them with vigour to mitigate this problem and we the public also should make course corrections in our road manners. We should not let this beautiful city become polluted with our unruly behaviour.
Yours etc.,
Dr. Uttam Saikia
Zoological Survey of India
Shillong-3
Circle of corruption runs deep
Editor,
The suggestion by Mr Kyrmen Shylla, Social Welfare Minister that the contractor who shoddily constructed the ISBT, Shillong which cost Meghalaya Rs 48 crore should be black-listed is hardly a penalty. The same blacklisted contractor will set up another firm with new names and the wheeling dealing will continue merrily. Further, Mr Prestone Tynsong the Deputy Chief Minister is trying to whitewash the entire shoddy work and pin the blame on the on the small fries of the PWD.
What about the ‘Circle of Back-Scratching’ which starts from the very top. We , Meghalayans have been duped for far too long. We need to wake up from our slumber now and identify these political vultures and their cronies who have been draining the lives of the common people of Meghalaya for decades.
Unless this ‘circle of back-scratching is ripped out and Meghalaya elects political crusaders against corruption come the 2023 Assembly elections, we are doomed to repeat this failed experiment yet again.
It’s time for us Meghalayans to catch the bulls by the horns and address this corruption menace and give our younger generation a better opportunity to find their place in the sun.
Yours etc.,
Tyrone D’Brass
Tura.
Complaint against MEPDCL at Lapalang
Editor,
This is to bring to your kind notice that, recently, the electric bills payment counter of MeCEL, Lapalang (known as Area 6) was abruptly closed for reasons not known to us. On one particular day, all the consumers were lined up at the payment counter for payment of their electric bills. That day, all of us were standing in the queue since morning waiting for the counter to open at 10.30 A.M. We waited for over two hours on that particular day. When asked from the staff, we were informed that the concerned staff manning the payment counter would not be coming. Then after more than 2 hours, the counter was opened and one of the consumers asked the staff why he came so late as all have been waiting for over two hours and as a consequence of which most office goers were late for their duties. On hearing that the counter clerk was furious and without explaining the reason for his delay he closed down the counter and went somewhere inside the office. When some of the consumers went to talk to him and other members of the staff of MeECL why he closed the counter and also explained our difficulties, he opened the counter again. At that time, most of those in the queue had left to find out some other alternative to pay their electricity bills.
If this is the culture and attitude of the MeECL insofar as the payment of electricity bills at Lapalang is concerned, the functioning of the MPDCL will be severely affected in future.
This letter is to bring to the attention of the MeECL administration in general and the Lapalang payment counter in particular. This payment counter of MePDCL at Lapalang should open on time. It is suggested that the payment counter be opened at 10.00 A.M. sharp on every payment day. The attitude and behaviour of the staff should be corrected because for a PSU like MeECL customer satisfaction is uppermost and the staff should understand that they are there to serve the public, not the Government of the day.
Yours etc.,
I. R. Dkhar
Shillong -14