By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 28: Two days after the Lokayukta issued notices to a former Chief Secretary and other former officials over the alleged corruption in the implementation of the Saubhagya scheme, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the MDA Government has nothing to hide in the matter.
He said the Lokayukta will follow all procedures and they will have to wait till the final reports come out.
When asked about the demands for implementing the inner-line permit (ILP) system and the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule, he said the government will continue to raise the matters.
“I will discuss the two pending demands during my next meeting with the Prime Minister and some central ministers,” he said.
Sangma, who met several union ministers in New Delhi recently, said the DoNER minister assured him that all the pending projects would be cleared.
He said he told the DoNER minister that the guidelines for DoNER projects are very complicated because of which a project takes around a year and a half to reach the approval stage.
The minister told Sangma that the guidelines are being reviewed.
The chief minister also met the IT minister and sought a special URL and domain for the state for its “Meghalaya One Portal” where all services will be available online.
He further said he urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to allow the operation of flights from the Shillong Airport in two shifts, which would facilitate the movement of evening and late-night flights.
Asked about his recent meeting with the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Sangma said the move, if approved by the ministry, would allow the operation of flights early in the morning, evening, and late at night.
He said the Shillong Airport has facilities for night landing, which will allow more flights to and from more airports across the country with flexible timing.
The Civil Aviation Minister assured Sangma of looking into the matter.
Similarly, discussions were held to develop heliports in Shillong and Tura for which the state government will ensure adequate infrastructure.
Requests have also been made for the expansion of the runway of the Baljek Airport and proposals have been submitted for starting a flight between Shillong and Tura.
The Shillong Airport remains closed on Sunday. Most of the daily flights from the airport arrive or leave by the afternoon, leaving no option for passengers who have to take a flight in the evening.