Editor,
Meghalaya can be broadly divided into two distinct regions –the higher altitude Shillong plateau consisting of the Khasi and Jaintia hills and the lower altitude region consisting of the Garo Hills. Shillong being the erstwhile British capital along with pleasant weather had seen lots of development. With huge tourism potential, the whole of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills has got more than adequate attention. Whereas the tourist footfall in Garo Hills is almost zero.
Garo Hills with a different topography and people’s mindset, requires different development planning parameters which should be different from the rest of the state. The development model followed in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTR) in Assam, which saw massive development in the last two decades, can best be followed in Garo Hills. All official works up to the Secretariat level should be made available in Tura and the people of Garo Hills should not be burdened with frequent visits to Shillong for petty official works.
Tourism development needs a booster, which can be based around the two National Parks – The Balpakram and the Nokrek, which require rejuvenation by breeding of more wildlife. Local Self-Help Groups should be assisted by the Government to take up eco-tourism and for setting-up traditional village resorts, which are in big demand among those coming from the metros. The Government should encourage and invite tourists to Garo Hills when they visit Shillong. This requires a well=planned tourism circuit
Agricultural practices should be changed from shifting cultivation to more value added horticultural produce and plantation crops. Local Garo youths should be encouraged to start businesses and food processing industries based on local produce, which can easily be exported to Bangladesh. Shifting cultivation should be banned as the practice is rapidly causing desertification and water crises alongside.
We need to rejuvenate the rivers and streams, particularly in Tura town, where almost all the rivers and streams are encroached upon converting these into filthy drains.
Merely providing good connectivity through good roads, people will develop at their own pace due to massive increase in economic activities provided by these roads. Almost all the roads are in very bad shape and the Agia-Medhipara-Phulbari-Tura (AMPT)road is the worst, where the maximum economic activities are based and which is connected to Bangladesh.
People should stop relying too much of Government and the Government too should stop thinking about how to get more money from the Centre. Government should encourage economic activities thereby generating more revenue resources.
Yours etc.
Dr. T. K. Barman
Via email
Plight of banana farmers in North Garo Hills
Editor,
Apropos the news item appearing in The Shillong Times dated 6th June 2022 highlighting the plight of banana farmers in Adokgre in North Garo Hills District, it is really very sad to see huge stalks of bananas abandoned by farmers because they would rather not take back the unsold bananas. While we are encouraging the farmers to go in for more plantation and horticulture crops but at the same time, we fail to create marketing linkages for their produce/s. This perhaps, is the major problem and a recurring one. Every year, due to failure of the main buyers from Bihar and West Bengal to turn up for whatever reasons, the farmers had to resort to distress sale. The need of the hour is not to blame anyone but to come together and find out ways and means to lessen the burden of the farmers. Adokgre and its surrounding areas are known for producing huge quantities of bananas and oranges. I would appeal to the Agri/Horti Deptts; the Farmers’ Commission, Banks and development agencies working in the State to come together in one platform and try to address the problems of the farmers in that area. Similar interventions may be required for the farmers in different areas of the State.
Yours etc.
Fergertson R Marak
Burny Hills,
Tura
FlyBig should be banned from flying Delhi – Shillong – Delhi sector
Editor,
On Monday, May 23, 2022, I was excited to take the FlyBig flight from Delhi to Shillong. My family and I reached the Indira Gandhi International Airport around 10:00 a.m. We waited to board the flight at 12 which was the scheduled time and the flight was to take off at 12:55 pm. Alas! There was a 2-hour delay but the airlines didn’t even bother to announce the delay. Anyway the passengers, mostly from Meghalaya and other North Eastern states waited patiently and tolerated all this mismanagement by the airlines. The flight finally took off at 2:30 p.m. Had it been any other part of India there would have been chaos and the airlines crew members would have been manhandled and made to compensate the passengers with free food for the delay. That did not happen just because people North East India are used to be long-suffering.
Now let’s come to my grievances. FlyBig told us we were allowed 60 Kgs for four passengers as cargo baggage and 7kgs each as cabin baggage. But when we reached the airport they added 3 extra baggage in the cargo and made us pay Rs 17,500 on the spot or they wouldn’t allow us to carry the cabin baggage into the airlines. This is too much for any middle class person to pay. It’s equal to buying a to and fro ticket for one passenger. We had a very bad experience with the flight.
While I was undergoing security check in Delhi they told me to take out all the electronic items from my laptop bag. My house keys were also kept in the tray but after the scanning was done I collected the items from the other side. The house keys were missing from the tray. A fellow passenger found the keys that had gone below the roller. She picked it up for me and thereafter she picked her items. Being from a middle class family, FlyBig has delivered a huge blow to me. I will never take a direct flight ever from Delhi to Umroi airport.
Interestingly even the authorities at the airport told me that if I had taken any other flight from Delhi to Guwahati then such an episode wouldn’t have occurred. I feel that FlyBig which just started their flight on May 2, 2022 should stop operating their shoddy flights. I also feel that a small plane cannot handle heavy turbulence while flying such a long distance and keeping the lives of the passengers at stake. I request the Government to stop the Shillong- Delhi-Shillong flight. FlyBig airlines have cheated passengers like us as I lost a huge chunk of money unnecessarily. If the airlines does not allow hand baggage then it should say so upfront. At least this way the passengers are warned not to carry cabin baggage and they will not lose money the way I did before boarding the flight.
Yours etc.,
Amit King
Shillong- 4