House discards Adelbert’s breach of privilege motion against Speaker
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 22: The House on Thursday defeated through voice vote a breach of privilege motion moved by VPP’s North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum against Speaker Thomas A Sangma for disallowing a discussion on the CAG reports.
Presenting a brief on his breach of privilege motion, Nongrum said he had wanted to discuss the CAG reports on social and economic sector for the year ended March 31, 2022 but the Speaker disallowed it which was a denial of his right.
“We are at liberty to discuss the CAG reports in public and in the media; how come we are disallowed to discuss it in the House. Can our fundamental right be curtailed this way?” he asked while urging the intervention of the House.
In response, the Speaker reiterated that Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma wrote a letter to him informing that the CAG reports were being examined by the Public Accounts Committee and urging him not to list any motion on the same in the House.
Exodus of doctors from NEIGRIHMS alarms Cong
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 22: The exodus of highly qualified physicians from NEIGRIHMS has alarmed the opposition Congress, which has called on the state government to persuade the central government to designate the super-specialty hospital as an institute of national importance.
Opposition leader Ronnie V Lyngdoh brought up the issue during question hour on Thursday, stating that doctors from the state could be sent there for specialised training if the institute is upgraded. He added that the state was losing out on specialised doctors as a result of the exodus.
In order to stop doctors from moving out of the state, Lyngdoh suggested that adequate perks and facilities should be offered to the practicing physicians.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma addressed the concerns by stating that the Parliament has the authority to designate NEIGRIHMS as an institute of national importance by passing an Act.
He informed the House that he had discussed the issue with former Union Health Minister, JP Nadda.
Last year, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had informed Cabinet Minister AL Hek that there was no proposal under consideration for upgradation of NEIGRIHMS to the level of AIIMS but a proposal for declaring the institute as being of national importance was under consideration of the Ministry.
Assembly rejects budget amendment bill
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 22: VPP MLA from North Shillong, Adelbert Nongrum on Thursday told the House that the total outstanding liability of the state government is about 42 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
He said this while introducing a private member’s bill — the Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Amendment Bill 2024 — which was rejected by the House.
Nongrum recalled a reply to an unstarred question given in Parliament by the Union MoS for Finance according to which Meghalaya’s outstanding liability at the end of March 2024 (budget estimate) is Rs 20,030 crore.
Nongrum said the private member’s bill seeks to plug some loopholes in the Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2026, and to give the government the responsibility of lowering the fiscal deficit to 3 per cent of the GSDP.