By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: The temptation of the VVIPs of the State to fly in the lone Pawan Hans chopper refuses to die out, with Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and Governor RS Mooshahary mostly using this fastest means of transport after the service resumed at the end of July last year.

The result is an expenditure of over Rs 92 lakh incurred on these two personalities.

As per reply to the RTI questions posed by The Shillong Times, in the five months since the chopper service resumed on July 27, 2012, the Chief Minister and the Governor carried out 28 trips each to various destinations, incurring a total expenditure of Rs 92.21 lakh (Rs 92,21,733) which includes Rs 69,54,566 for Dr Sangma and Rs 22,67,167 for Mooshahary.

The Union Power Minister Dr Veerappa Moily undertook one trip at a cost of Rs 3,85,000 during the period.

However, the amount of money collected from the passengers including those from Government departments as fare from July 27 till December 31, 2012 is Rs 14.38 lakh (Rs 14,38,380).

Among the sorties, the Chief Minister used the chopper for 4 hour and 40 minutes to reach Phulbari/Mahendraganj for a visit to the various pandals during Durga Puja celebrations on October 22.

The figures reveal that the maximum expenditure was incurred on VVIPs whereas the ordinary passengers had to shell out their hard earned money to fly in chopper.

While the rate per passenger from Shillong to Guwahati is Rs 1,500, for Shillong to Tura it is Rs 1900.

The rate for a charter flight costs Rs 1,40,000 per hour.

Among the 28 trips undertaken by Dr Sangma, as many as 19 were chartered whereas the remaining were normal. However, no passenger flew with the Chief Minister during these trips.

Some destinations which the Chief Minister frequented included Guwahati to Shillong and vice versa, while other destinations included Mendipathar, Tura, Guwahati, Dilma (East Garo Hills) via Guwahati, Phulbari, Mahendraganj, Goiragre, Kharkutta, Rongara, Raksamgre, Salmanpara, Rongjeng, Baghmara, Williamnagar and Shillong to Ampati.

On one occasion, Dr Sangma used the chopper to fly from IIM Shillong campus to Guwahati, while on two other occasions he used the chopper to fly from Ampati, his home constituency.

As far as the Governor is concerned, out of the 28 sorties, five were charted while the remaining were termed as normal since he had travelled with other passengers.

Out of the chartered trips, there was a Cherrapunjee sortie by the Governor on August 28 last year which took four hours and five minutes with an expenditure of Rs 5.71 lakh.

In another time consuming charted sortie (4 hours 10 minutes), the Governor travelled to Goeregre and back to Shillong but along with some air passengers.

Among the 28 sorties, 11 times the destination of the Governor was to Guwahati. He also took the chopper to Pathsala, Assam, from Guwahati on November 3 last year, but some passengers were also with him.

In another chartered sortie without passengers, the Governor travelled from Narangi in Assam to Rowriah (Jorhat) taking 3 hours incurring an expenditure of Rs 4.20 lakh for the trip.

Though officials close to the Chief Minister and the Governor claim that they took the chopper to save time, critics believe that the trips were waste of money as it defeated the very purpose of the Centre’s initiative.

Moreover, some of these trips were not for official purpose and the cause of concern is that since Meghalaya has only one chopper it often causes inconvenience to the ordinary passengers who long to take the chopper to carry the sick and also for reaching in time for job interviews and examinations. In this context, sources said that the Government should operate one more helicopter for regular air passengers.

A report of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 2011-12 says, “In order to provide connectivity to remote areas as also for providing air connectivity to these areas with rest of India, helicopter services are in operation in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura under non-plan scheme with subsidy from MHA. The subsidy portion is limited to 75 per cent of operational cost after adjusting recovery from passengers.

After the helicopter service resumed since July 27 last year, Pawan Hans is using a Dauphin Double engine with a seating capacity of 12.

According to the MHA report, for the purpose of restricting subsidy, annual ceiling of flying hours have been fixed for the helicopter service operating in various States. The number of flying hours sanctioned for Meghalaya is 720 hours per year.

However, the State Governments are permitted to operate helicopter services in excess of the ceiling of flying hours. But, the subsidy is limited to flying hours as per ceiling fixed for each type of helicopter being operated in five States. After adjusting subsidy from MHA, the balance cost of operating helicopter services is met by concerned State Governments.

In addition to the helicopter services in the Northeast, the Ministry of Home Affairs operates one twin-engine helicopter based at Guwahati for use by VIPs and senior officers of the Central Government for visiting the North Eastern States.

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: Election is the season when political leaders undertake whirlwind tours using choppers to reach out far flung areas for campaigning. However, the stand of the State Transport Department, which is the chopper service provider, is that no political parties can use the helicopter.

In a written reply to a query on the conditions for the political parties to use the chopper, the Transport Department said, “Political parties are not allowed to charter the chopper.”

Chief Electoral Officer P Naik echoed the same by saying that political parties cannot use the chopper at the

inconvenience of the passengers.

He suggested that since there is only one chopper in the State, the political parties can hire choppers from outside the State for their campaign provided that the trips are shown in the expenditure of political parties.

After filing of nominations, the political parties and the candidates may bear the expenditure jointly, he stated.

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: Taking note of the growing number of crimes against women in ‘matrilineal Meghalaya’, Governor RS Mooshahary said there is an emergent need to fast track all cases of crime against women.

He also expressed surprise over the fact that there was not a single conviction in connection with crime against women in 2011.

“There were seven convictions in 2009, four in 2010 and none in 2011. Against this, acquittals accounted for 16 in 2009, five in 2010 and 20 in 2011,” he pointed out.

While giving details of the crimes against women in the State, he said in 2009, the State Police registered as many as 237 cases. The number rose to 261 in 2010 and 269 in 2011.

He also informed that during the corresponding period, 705, 800 and 903 cases respectively were pending for trial in different courts of the State.

“Of these, pending cases of rape alone accounted for 414 in 2009, 483 in 2010 and 544 in 2011,” he said.

Asserting the need for a responsive and gender sensitive justice delivery system the Governor said, “Administration of justice needs to be toned up significantly if the law has to have any deterrent effect.”

While terming the New Delhi gang rape as an incident which brought shame to the country, Mooshahary said that civil societies and traditional institutions should introspect and debate on the burning issue and come forward with logical suggestions to ensure safety to the womenfolk.

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: Governor RS Mooshahary has expressed grave concern over the growing influence of the GNLA in Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills,

Speaking on the occasion of the 64th Republic Day celebration at Polo Grounds here on Saturday, Mooshahary said that the law and order situation in the State has been stable and the internal security scenario is by and large satisfactory.

Informing about the signing of the Agreed Text of Settlement between the ANVC and the State and Central Governments, Mooshahary appealed the ‘disgruntled elements’ to seek peaceful resolution of their demands through established democratic processes.

The Governor observed that activities of the outlawed HNLC have seen a decline in the past few years due to constant pressure mounted by the State Police.

Talking about the development scenario, Mooshahary said that during the Eleventh Five Year Plan, Meghalaya recorded a high growth rate of 8.9 per cent in GSDP and investments in the social sector, roads, airport, railways, IT and market infrastructure were substantially enhanced.

“An outlay of Rs 27,027 crore has been proposed for the Twelfth Five Year Plan which is yet to be approved by the Planning Commission,” the Governor informed.

“The agreed plan size for 2012-13 is Rs 3939 crore,” he said while adding that the priorities of the Twelfth Plan include the need for livelihood creation at a very rapid pace, encouraging investment, improve connectivity besides others.

Mooshahary also felt that there is an urgent need to educate all stakeholders that the mineral resources in the State should be handled with a sense of responsibility. “Exploitation of State resources should be done in a scientific manner,” he said.

He was also of the view that Meghalaya is amongst top ranking states in the field of music and other fine arts and there is need to create more opportunities for the youths to enable them to gain access to national and international platforms befitting their talent and abilities.