Shillong, Aug 8: Having witnessed years, if not decades, of utter neglect to road development, a young mother broke down in tears during the first CM Connect direct interaction programme in rural Laskein block of West Jaintia Hills narrating the harrowing experience they face in travel owing to the poor road conditions in her village. Hailing from Umsaliat village, she said that the road has been in dismal state since her childhood.
“As a child, I have seen the same road to my village with no improvement. Every election, contesting candidates would promise that if they are elected, the road would be completed. However, it has remained a failed promise for the last 20 years,” the mother said in presence of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and top state officials.
A red faced Minister Commingone Ymbon, who represents the area, responded by saying that the promise is being fulfilled, as the road has been sanctioned and the construction would begin soon.
Close to 40 people from different walks of life raised their concerns.
In today’s CM Connect, local leaders, village headmen, and the general public took the opportunity to speak directly to the Chief Minister and sought his response on different issues. Many of them were seen venting their anger against the slow progress of work, poor implementation and delay in disbursement of schemes.
The Chief Minister heard the concerns, responded and clarified to doubts and assured that all concerns raised will be resolved.
The major issue raised was broadly on poor road connectivity, lack of educational infrastructure in villages, poor healthcare facilities, quality of supplementary nutrition for children, problems related to implementation of JJM, etc.
Responding to the concerns, the Chief Minister said that the school infrastructure across Meghalaya is being upgraded and issues raised on schools from Laskein block, will be taken up by the government. On health infrastructure upgradation, the Chief Minister informed that the government under health infrastructure strengthening project is upgrading PHCs to CHCs. He informed that from Laskein block also, the department will identify healthcare centres for upgradation.
“The idea of CM-Connect is to listen to our people. Through this programme, we are able to learn the needs of our people and make decisions accordingly in the best interest of our people,” he said, while informing that in every CM-Connect programme, the public is airing their concerns on road infrastructure.
“Around 1600 villages in Meghalaya are not connected. These roads cannot be funded by the centre under national highway, PMGSY or state schemes as it does not fit the criteria. Our government has launched the Chief Minister’s Rural Road Connectivity Scheme, to ensure that such roads which do not fit in any of the schemes could be taken up. We have identified many such roads, and are compiling new roads from rural areas to fit in these scheme”, he added.
Many also expressed the need for infrastructures like football ground, police outposts especially in border areas, transformers, need for Village Organizations office space, need for SSLC examination centers, banking services, suspension bridges, promotion of ecotourism, farmer market complexes.
