3rd instalment of scholarship fund
Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Monday said the state government is currently awaiting the third installment of scholarship funds from the Government of India. This payment is critical for disbursing scholarships to more than 20,000 students across Meghalaya.
Speaking to reporters, Sangma said that while the second installment has already been successfully released benefiting around 40,000 out of the 60,000 eligible students while the delay in the third installment means that nearly 20,000 students are still pending financial support.
“We are now waiting for the ministry to release the third installment. Given that the second installment has been disbursed, we expect the next tranche to be released soon,” Sangma said.
Praise for govt interventions
Expansion of Shillong Airport will be a game-changer for the people of the state, Sohra MLA Gavin Mylliemngap said, while participating in a debate on the Governor’s address in the Assembly on Monday.
He further added that the proposed skywalk and other tourism-related facilities at Mawkdok and five star hotels at Sohra will boost the flow of high-end tourists in the state.
Lauding the state government for ensuring zero load-shedding in 2024, the Sohra legislator hoped that there would no load-shedding this year as well.
He also empathised with MeECL officials stating that linemen are overburdened due to manpower crisis.
Civil Hospital expansion and adjacent park
Speculation is mounting over the fate of Phan Nonglait Park amid reports that the Civil Hospital expansion project may take over the remaining space of the park on one side and Pine Mount School on the other. This has sparked concerns as Phan Nonglait Park remains one of Shillong’s last surviving green spaces in a city where green spaces are already scarce.
The proposed expansion is part of a broader decongestion plan, which includes the construction of additional hospital infrastructure and parking lots to address Shillong’s growing space constraints.
However, when asked about the Civil Hospital expansion plans, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh refused to divulge details, stating, “We will speak about it when we have crossed the bridge.”
Winter Capital
Rongjeng MLA Jim M Sangma on Monday emphasised that the people of Garo Hills region will benefit if the Tura is declared as the Winter Capital of the state.
Sangma, who was participating in a debate on the Governor’s address, said that the idea of Winter Capital in Tura is a long-standing aspiration of the people. “It will bring people closer to the administration,” he said.
Power generation from Umngi river
Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar has asked the state government to generate power from Umngi river, which just flows to Bangladesh through Meghalaya.
Speaking during a debate on Governor’s address on Monday, Tongkhar said the river has huge potential and the state government must study it and generate power from the river with the help of NEEPCO.
“If we can construct a dam (on Umngi), it will be more attractive than Umiam (dam),” he said.