By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 22: Umsning MLA and Congress leader, Dr Celestine Lyngdoh on Friday asked the state government to come up with contingency funds for the MLAs to promptly deal with natural calamities, while the Opposition Chief Whip and Congress MLA, Saleng Sangma asked the government to enhance the Special Rural Works Programme (SRWP) funds.
Participating in a question hour query moved by VPP MLA Heaving Stone Kharpran on financial assistances paid under the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) funds, Lyngdoh said, “Whenever any of these incidents happen, the first person to be contacted by the people are either the MLA or the MDC,”
“…we can call it a contingency fund allotted in the hands of each MLA so that we can respond with relief immediately,” he added.
He pointed out that there are specific guidelines in order to use the SRWP, CM’s development funds, among others.
Lyngdoh recalled that his constituency, Umsning, experienced landslides during the rainy season and houses were partially damaged. When the DC’s office was approached for funds, they were told that it was not included in natural disaster.
For an MLA to visit and do nothing is painful, he said.
With regard to the concern of trust over the proposed contingency funds, Lyngdoh said the funds can remain with the DC. “…and on the recommendations of an MLA, the fund has to be released immediately,” he added.
Recalling another incident where a house in his constituency was completely gutted and despite filing complaints to the BDOs, no relief has been received so far, he said, “The contingency fund if made available will go a long way in serving the people.”
Replying to the Umsning MLA, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that a similar suggestion was made by some MLAs during a meeting of the MDA.
Albeit the government may not be able to create separate contingency funds immediately as it has financial impact, the CM said that they are working to amend the rules of the SRWP.
Earlier, Kharpran had questioned the Minister in-charge Disaster Management, Kyrmen Shylla as to why the assistance to the two affected families of fire incident belonging to Banteiskhem Kharumnuid and Rina Marboh was not credited to their account.
The Minister, however, said that it had already been credited.
Kharpran, on the other hand, said that the beneficiaries are yet to receive it.
Joining the discussion, VPP chief Ardent Basaiawmoit called upon the minister to take immediate note of such instances where money has been credited but not received by the beneficiaries.
Kyrmen Shylla emphasised that such beneficiaries should immediately file a complaint with the BDO so that the government can take it up.
Meanwhile, Opposition Chief Whip and Congress MLA, Saleng Sangma pitched for enhancement of the SRWP funds, which he felt is too less to cater to the villages in his constituency.
In reply, the CM said, “I understand the funds will never be enough as the needs are huge and the desire to work is high. The public do expect a lot but we do have to keep things under certain limits and the government has to spend through other departments. It is not like the SRWP is the only fund. There are many other departmental funds”.
“We will have to look at the budget and then take a call. We have recently increased it by Rs 50 lakh but we will examine it and wherever possible, we will try to do our best,” he added.