By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 15: The Meghalaya State Planning Board (MSPB) is mandated to advise the government on formulating long-term development plans, setting development priorities, and evaluating progress, but there are allegations that consultants appointed by the state government as well as politicians have taken over that role.
Ollan Sing Suin, who is the Co-Chairman of MSPB, however, dismissed the allegations.
Stating that the Board does not serve to accommodate politicians, he said its mandate is to advise the government and ensure that schemes are implemented properly.
Asked about lack of activity, Suin said the Board, chaired by AT Mondal, has held two meetings so far to assess the progress of government programmes.
He further stated that the meetings reviewed programmes being implemented by different departments, as well as the shortcomings and problems faced by them during implementation.
“We give suggestions to the government on what corrections should be made,” Suin said.
Addressing the perception that the Board serves as a platform for political rehabilitation, he said, “If the board exists only to rehabilitate politicians, it has no meaning.”
He said the Board plans the steps needed to ensure that the state and its departments are implementing schemes in the right direction. He added that experts are also involved in the planning process.
The Board held discussions earlier on easing traffic congestion in Shillong. Suin noted visible improvements in the city over the past few months, attributing it to new road infrastructure.
“We have held discussions with the Police and Home Department to ease traffic congestion. The traffic flow has improved today compared to the past five to six months,” he stated.
He said the new road to Anjalee petrol pump has removed a major bottleneck, while the nearly completed Upper Shillong-Umshyrpi stretch has further eased traffic movement.
“Earlier, when I travelled to Upper Shillong, it took me one hour. Now, it hardly takes 15-20 minutes,” he added.
