The Meghalaya PWD Minister, Mr Rowell Lyngdoh has joined the Congress(I). This raises the party’s strength in the House of 60 to 32. The ruling MDF has 37 members.

The Congress (I) had secured 25 seats in the last general election.

The North Eastern Council has agreed to take up the preliminary investigation of Kynshi Hydel Project in the South Western Meghalaya at a cost of Rs. 98.8 lakhs. The scheme which will be implemented by the Meghalaya State Electricity Board has already been cleared by Electricity Authority. Central Water Commission, Planning Commission and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The first phase of investigation is likely to be completed within 2 ½ years while the complete investigation will take about 6 years. The project report will be prepared after the detailed investigation is completed. An amount of Rs. 10 lakhs has been provided by North Eastern Council for the current year.

The Report on Preliminary Investigation for Kynshi Basin as prepared by the Meghalaya State Electricity Board reveals that the project will generate 500 MW of power in different stages. The projected production in the first stage will be 170 MW while construction cost for Stage-I will be Rs. 113 crores. The cost of generation of per unit of power will be 20 paise which is described MSEB as quite cheap. It may be mentioned here that Meghalaya which is endowed with an estimated power potential of about 1800 MW at 60% load factor concentrated mainly in the river Basin of Khasi and Jaintia Hills has been able to harness so far only 10% of the total potential. The estimate of the potential as worked out by the Central water and power Commission during the early part of 50s shows about 750 MW hydel power at 60% load factor from the basins of the North Umtru Khreih, Umkhen and Kopili while another 1050 MW of power at 60% load factor from the basins would be available from the South flowing rivers of Kynshi Umiew and Umrelong.

Because of the available facilities of communication in the basins of the North flowing rivers investigation works for Umiam-Umtru basin was taken at the beginning of 1950 and till now development of 4 stage in this basin has been completed and another stage in now under execution by the Meghalaya State Electricity Board. The development of the Kopili basin is under execution by NEEPCO.

Although the South flowing rivers of Khasi and Jaintia Hills have tremendous power potential, barring the river Myntdu no other river has been gauged resulting in absence of hydro metrological date. The present investigation as agreed by North Eastern Council would, therefore, go a long way in providing important information about the prospects of further power development in Meghalaya.

The Meghalaya State Electricity Board is of the view that with the taking up of investigation work of some of the south flowing rivers of Meghalaya in a phased manner the power position in the North-Eastern Region as well as in the adjoining eastern region could be improved considerably.

The national agricultural inputs fortnight for Kharif was launched in Meghalaya at different functions held on June 1 at the district and sub-divisional headquarters.

The Fortnight is aimed at creating an awareness among the farmers of the various facilities available to them through the State Govt and also to energies the field works so that the Kharif production does not fall below target.

In Shillong, the State Agriculture Minister, Mr Oris Lyngdoh, while inaugurating the Fortnight at a function at Upper Shillong, stressed the importance of the programme. He said “food economy of the country substantially depends upon Kharif production which accounts for 60% of the total foodgrain production”. This year the total target of foodgrains production was 1.84 lakh M.T. of which 1.74 lakh M.T was proposed to be attained during the Kharif season, he added.

Mr Lyngdoh underlined the paramount need for ensuring that all the vital inputs were made available to the farmers. He also gave details of the various steps undertaken by the State Agriculture Department for helping the farmers in obtaining inputs like modern technology, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides financial credit, irrigation, tools and machinery.

The MSEB had issued the following appeal to its consumers:- ‘Meghalaya was in the grip of severe storms during the month of April resulting in large scale damage and destruction of the transmission and distribution lines and power apparatus installed at various places. These unprecedented storms interrupted the power supply and created inconvenience to our esteemed consumers. With the active cooperation of consumers and dedicated service of the works of the Board, it was possible to restore the power supply at most of the locations, within  the shortest possible time.

The Secretary of the North Eastern Council, Mr P H Trivedi has strongly pleaded for the string up of a Regional Office for F.P.O. (Fruit Processing Order) for the North-Eastern Region with a view to removing the difficulties experienced by the manufacturers of the North-Eastern Region and thus to promote industrial development in the region.

Mr Trivedi in his letter addressed recently to the Secretary to the Department of Food and Civil Supplies. Government of India, referred to the delay in obtaining Fruit Processing Order Certificates by the exporters from the North-Eastern Region because of the location of the F.P.O. Office at Calcutta.

The NEC Secretary also mentioned in his letter how the NEC had been exploring possibilities of increasing the volume of export of processed fruit products from the North-Eastern Region for which there is great potential. He also mentioned that the NERAMAC (North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation) has recently executed export orders of Processed fruit product to the tune of 370 tonnes valued at Rs. 30.50 lakhs and it has now offers for export of about 1200 tonnes worth Rs. 1.20 crores. Meanwhile, the Secretary Food and Civil Supplies Govt. of India, Mr N.K.S. Jhala, has informed the NEC Secretary that a Senior inspecting Officer will be posted at Gauhati on year to year basis during the seasons. The NERAMAC has accordingly been asked to provide space within its office as well as secretarial assistance for the inspecting officer.

The detection of several cases of defalcation of government funds in close succession during the past few weeks is as much revealing as the trend of such corrupt practices is disquieting. What is somewhat strange is that such large-scale misappropriation of public funds did not attract notice of higher authorities concerned until, in the case for instance of the gravest of them all, the clue to it, was available in reports in a section of the local Press. The government steps taken since to bring these cases under proper scrutiny and the culprits to book has been expeditious but this is not to say in extenuation of its earlier lapses in not exercising tight control over government expenditure and its routine handling by subordinate officers.

The defalcation in one of the aforesaid cases is reported to have been spread over several years and this constitutes a sad reflection on government procedures and practices which encouraged and enabled such glaring abuse of authority on the part of the guilty concerned for years together. We await, as must everyone in government and outside, the fuller account of these corrupt cases from the reports of the investigating agencies set up by the government. We are hoping that the relevant reports would suggest appropriate remedial measures as well, which would plug all such loop holes as made these defalcations possible. But overriding all such precautionary measures must be felt the need for toning up the moral standard of the government in particular. Above all is the need of vigilance and cooperation of the public at large so that the good name of Meghalaya in this respect may not further be sullied in the manner some black-sheep may have done or been doing.

Laldenga’s reported willingness to resume parleys with the Centre for working out an all-embracing solution to the Mizoram problems, may or may not eventually be stretched upon its logical conclusion. But surely it goes to strengthen the belief that the Mizoram Congress(I) is presently currying favour with the rebel leader. In more ways then one, it is a good augury for the often-bloodied Union Territory.

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Mizoram has long been subjected to a sustained terrorism. People of all descriptions have suffered immensely. Innocent lives have been lost, normalcy was frequently disturbed. The Mizos have borne the brunt of the situation for far too long. Viewed in this light the latest overtures from Laldenga are therefore a welcome proposition. If the inflexible attitude of Brigadier T Sailo was the stumbling block to the return of Laldenga to the mainstream of Mizo life, it is perhaps for the better that the people have sidelined him for the present. Perhaps it is also not an overemphasis to remind the Centre to watch its steps when it comes to dealing with the rebel leader. Laldenga does not have a clean past in this regard as he has too often been found to be a slippery customer.

Mr D.D. Pugh former Chief Minister of Meghalaya and an architect of the APHLC, has joined the Congress(I).

In a letter to the MPCC(I) chief, he said from the “scrutiny of the style of functioning” of the leaders of the APHLC, he had come to the “conclusion” that his former party had “degenerated.” He said “the destiny of our people just cannot be left in the hands” of these leaders.

Replying to questions from newsmen at a press conference, Mr Pugh said that he would take up any responsibility assigned to him by the party.

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Jowai PHE racket

The Anti-Corruption Branch of the Police has expressed its inability to take up the investigation into the PHE affairs in Jowai in the absence of any FIR, with the police.

Sources said that the State Chief Secretary, Mrs P. P. Trivedi, had sent an official intimation to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) seeking its assistance in the detailed probe into the scandal.

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The IGP, Mr B.S. Baber, who is also the Vigilance Commissioner, has communicated to the Chief Secretary that the Anti-Corruption Branch would handle the case only after an FIR was filed at the place of occurrence. The Govt has not lodged FIR with the police so far, sources said.

The Vigilance Commissioner has also asked the Govt to specifically indicate the nature of investigation, since the Chief Secretary’s orders were cryptic and vague.

According to one report, a section of officials of the Anti-Corruption Branch is reluctant to associate itself with the case in view of magnitude of the amount involved. It is said that the ACB has never handled such a big case and there is hardly any experienced men to negotiate the case in a fool-proof manner.

Meanwhile, the Govt has sought the assistance of the Law Department in interpreting the propriety or otherwise of the suspended Executive Engineer in placing such huge supply orders. The Law Department has upheld that the Executive Engineer was the “competent officer” to place orders on behalf of the Govt.

A lacuna has been detected in the Meghalaya Delegation of Financial Power Rules, 1981 which says that an Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department is empowered to place orders or make payment upto on amount of Rs. 20,000. But in the case of a PHE Executive Engineer the Rules are silent. Sources said that the Rules were adopted from the Assam Govt and for some inexplicable reason PHE Executive Engineers were not brought under the purview of the Rules, making a departure from the rules of the parent Govt.

Mr. D. D. Pugh former Chief Minister of Meghalaya only after and an architect of the APHLC has joined the Congress (I).

In a letter to the the MPCC(I) chief, he said from the “scrutiny of the style of functioning” of the leaders of the APHLC, he had come to the “conclusion” that his former party had “degenerated.”

He said “the destiny of our people just cannot be left in the hands” of these leaders.

Replying to questions from newsmen at a conference, Mr Pugh said that he would take up any responsibility assigned to him by the party.

Meghalaya atheletics meet

The seventh Meghalaya state atheletics meetconcluded on May 5 with Shillong begging the best combined team championship title by securing 204 points.

In the men’s section Shillong, with 147 points was declared the best team. In the women’s section the best team title went to Jaintia District Sports Association which secured 79 points.

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The best athelete in the men’s section went to D.S. Dowri of Shillong with 21 points and in the women’s section to Silvia Momin who also notched 21 points.