Guv urges GNLA to consider talk offer

Shillong, January 26: The ceremonial parade, music, food court and children games marked the 65^th Republic Day celebration in Shillong on Sunday. Meghalaya governor KK Paul also made use of the occasion to appeal to the militant outfits including the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) on the necessity to hold dialogue with the government to usher in an era of peace, especially in the strife-torn Garo hills region.

Even as the ceremonial parade was witnessed among others by Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma, host of bureaucrats and police officers, Paul in his speech said that insurgency in Garo hills has caused immense hardship to the people, but the government is determined to restore peace as is reflected by the settlement with the ANVC which has reached final stages of approval by the union government.

Paul also urged the leadership of the GNLA to seriously consider the offer of the state government for a dialogue as he said that “Violence only results in all round misery.”

Touching on the contentious Inner Line Permit (ILP) issue and the agitations last year, Paul said the state witnessed bandhs, office picketing, road blockade which caused immense hardship not only to the public but also farmers, wage earners, petty traders and students . He said the government has pointed out the adverse fall out of such agitations for the introduction of the ILP as it could reverse the momentum of growth and progress. He, however, expressed hope of finding amicable and enduring solutions on the issue of the ILP as he praised both the parties- state government and the agitating ngos- for engaging with each other and felt must stay engaged to able finding an enduring solution to all such problems.

On the development front, Paul said that during recent years, Meghalaya has witnessed sustained economic growth but the infrastructure is inadequate and the state still have many challenges. To address this, he said, a large number of projects and initiatives have now been taken up and the state is beginning to see tangible results. Key projects such as the four laning of the Guwahati-Shillong highway and construction of the road connecting Shillong and Nongstoin with Tura have made significant progress. He said, “Government has also been able to successfully negotiate with ADB funding support for the Garobadha-Dalu road.”

Paul felt that the industries sector can be a major contributor towards economic growth as well as employment generation. He said the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, 2007 has paved the way towards incentivising investment in the manufacturing sector in the North East. In order to supplement this further, he informed that the state government has brought out the Meghalaya Investment and Industrial Policy, 2012, with emphasis on coverage of women and the physically challenged entrepreneurs. For this to succeed, he felt that a congenial climate for potential investors must be created so that they can come to the state with their capital, technology and other competencies.

Speaking about the   Information Technology in the state, Paul said IT acts as a catalyst to bring about transparent, responsive, effective and accountable governance. He informed that the government will use IT applications to improve the management of development programmes. He said steps are being taken to make the state a favoured destination for IT business, industry, education and services. He felt that the launching of the ‘Digital Learning Aid Scheme’ with the distribution of mobile tablet PCs to all Class-XII students will go a long way in realizing the unlimited potential of IT in the education sector.

Paul also said the GDP growth of the state has been extremely encouraging. But he felt that this growth needs to be inclusive to cover even the most marginalised. He said to make this needs into reality, the government has allocated funds to supplement the resources available under the Indira Awas Yojana for construction of individual houses for Below Poverty Line families. Detailed guidelines for the Chief Minister’s Weeding Assistance Scheme for orphan girls have now been worked out. Provision of funds has also been made for the Chief Minister’s assistance for the Critical Illnesses Scheme, he informed.

Speaking about the health scenario in the state, Paul said that despite best efforts, the benefits of various health related schemes are taking time to reach the remote areas, resulting in some of the social health indicators to be still adverse and in the uncomfortable zone. He felt one reason could be inadequacy of hygiene, as a very large number of the houses still lack basic toilet facilities.

Paul, however, felt that the Nirmal Gram Yojana of the central government which focuses on this aspect could be the answer. He said the government should have a mission mode approach with set targets, as unhygienic conditions may also be the cause of certain health related problems.

Paul also said that the rate of growth of population of Meghalaya is one of the highest in the country. He informed that about 20% of population of the state is now 6 years old or less. He felt such growth gives the state a huge demographic advantage, but also weighs in with certain responsibilities. He was of the opinion that the state must have adequate number of schools, colleges and teachers, who have to be appropriately trained for imparting quality education.

Paul said the Government has taken steps in this direction for skill development and other such programmes. He informed that in this context ADB is also assisting the state. But, he said, a lot still remains to be accomplished in the field of education. He was of the opinion that considering certain physical constraints and environmental concerns, Meghalaya cannot be heavily industrialised. As such, he said, it becomes important to channelize the youth with appropriate skills for the service sector and a knowledge economy.- By Our Reporter