SHILLONG, NOV 6: Opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) today said the new government to be led by the regional alliance in 2018 will leave no stone unturned to ensure facilitation of a fair investigation into the education job scam.
Hailing the recent judgment passed by the Meghalaya High Court on this regard, UDP working-president Paul Lyngdoh said the party commends the High court’s long awaited order and it hopes the matter can now be taken to its logical end.
He said today, the then minister in-charge of education Ampareen Lyngdoh is one of the prime accused in the case and the time frame given to the CBI is six months to proceed with the investigation and prosecution of the guilty.
Stating that this same period of six months would also see a change of guard in the state’s secretariat with the UDP leading the next government, Lyngdoh said, “So it is a happy coincidence because the new government to be led by the regional alliance of which the UDP is the larger partner will ensure that no stone is left unturned to ensure facilitation of a fair investigation.”
Earlier in 2014, the UDP had also submitted a charge-sheet titled “ABCD of MUA-II” to the Centre, seeking its immediate action against various misdeeds of the ruling Congress.
The 2009 scam in appointment of teachers in lower primary schools was one of the main issues highlighted on the “ABCD” charge-sheet which ‘A’ stands for accused, B – black-listed, C – charge-sheeted and D – discredited.
Asked, Lyngdoh said it is time that we take corrective measures and side by side with the CBI’s investigation it would be the primary fundamental duty of the next government to ensure that this “opaque veil” that allows all misdeeds to happen in the state should be removed.
“This veil should be immediately removed and we should ensure a transparent system of recruitment not only of teachers but at every level of the government,” he added.
According to him, also the more important aspect is to revamp the entire system of education to take away from the system to plug the loopholes that have ensured the quality of education in Meghalaya stands compromised as it is today.
“We have compromised with the quality of the teaching fraternity because of these acts of indulgences,” he said.
Stating that it is an established fact that there is no dearth of qualified, capable and sincere teachers, the UDP leader however said, “But it is the system of favoritism that has wreaked havoc to Meghalaya’s education.”
Referring to the reply of the current minister in-charge education Deborah Marak in the floor of the Assembly who revealed that the number of school dropouts has gone up to 1 lakh in the last four years, he said that no state can succeed unless it has education as a top most priority and for anybody in-charge of government especially this vital department to be able to tamper with the system and to ensure that certain persons are picked up as favorites is itself an act of grave injustice to the hundreds and thousands who have merit and who deserve better.
“The High Court’s order is a very long awaited decision because we need to ensure that we have a system which is tampered proof and education system that helps to alleviate and bring out the best in the human individual,” he said.
Lyngdoh also recalled that he had spoken on this matter in the Assembly and had even advocated that the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) should be made thoroughly transparent.
According to him, the candidates should be given access to their answer scripts once the scripts are evaluated, so that they will know how much they have scored or marks obtained and why they have been given a certain marks.
Similarly, Lyngdoh reiterated that along with the written scripts, there should also be a system where the personal interview be recorded on video and kept in the records of the MPSC.
“The candidates and members of the public should be given access to the answer script and video tape of the personal interview so that there is total transparency in the functioning of the MPSC,” he said adding “We as a state which is lagging behind in all aspects cannot afford to have a manpower that has been compromised right from the initial stage of recruitment.”
Reacting to a query, the UDP senior leader said that everyone will agree with him that Shillong at one point of time was a mega hub of education and the name of Shillong was synonymous with quality education while citing prominent personalities occupying various positions in East India and Bangladesh who have studied in Shillong.
He said that this is a prime asset, which Meghalaya cannot afford to lose, in the past three decades, have flitted away and wandered through such nefarious activities, which is the political interference in the process of recruitment.
“And especially by allowing members of the MPSC and DSCs to be “supreme lords” in matters of (job) recruitment is what has led to the present sorry state of affairs of our state and no government worth its salt would allow this sort of compromise to go on,” he added.
Meanwhile slamming the ruling Congress, Lyngdoh said that the state will not grow because of certain festivals that are draining the state’s exchequer.
“Meghalaya will not grow of Cherry Blossom festival, Meghalaya in its strength is its people and the people of Meghalaya, the youths of the state who have so much of potential and talent, it is criminal on the part of those of us who are in the political arena to play with their future because playing with their future is also playing with the future of the state itself,” he stated.
Stating that the state is going to celebrate its golden jubilee in 2022, he questioned how do we go towards 2022, if we have a system that allows us to squander with this biggest assets of the state which is its manpower, its youths.
By Our Reporter
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