SHILLONG : A woman from Umsaliat village in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills district said that the roads of her village have been in a dismal state ever since her childhood.

Close to 40 people from different walks of life raised their concerns over major issues like poor road connectivity, lack of educational infrastructure in villages, poor healthcare facilities, quality of supplementary nutrition for children, problems related to implementation of JJM. She narrated the same at the CM-Connect programme which was held on August 8.

The lady said, “As a child, I have seen that the road from my village to Iooksi has remained incomplete. 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.”

Minister Commingone Ymbon, who represents the area, responded saying that the promise is being fulfilled, as the road has been sanctioned and the construction would begin soon. The distance between Umsaliat, which falls under the Laskein C&RD block, to Iooksi is about 2.5 km.

Local leaders, village headmen, and the general public took the opportunity to speak directly to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and sought his response on different issues, to which he responded and clarified the doubts and assured that all concerns raised will be resolved.

In his response, CM Sangma 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. He also stated that CM Sangma informed that the government under health infrastructure strengthening project is upgrading PHCs to CHCs.

“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.still not realising this issue. It seems even some MLAs are still not admitting the issue. As such there is a need to form a committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly to investigate the matter of illegal immigrants.

CM Biren Singh stated, “A Cabinet sub-committee, chaired by minister TA and Hills Letpao Haokip with ministers Awangboi Newmai and Basanta Kumar was formed to investigate the matter, with bureaucrats also involved.

The Home Ministry has declared this as a serious issue, leading to the initiation of biometric registrations. Initially, 2,480 individuals were detected. However, monitoring and controlling the immigrants, especially those settling in villages, remains difficult, as members faced resistance in certain areas.”

The detected immigrants are currently kept in shelter homes in Sajiwa, based on humanitarian grounds. They will be deported when the situation improves., he added.

He also said that the long border poses a threat, and new villages have been settled even after May 3. The base year for identification is set at 1961. Anyone settling after the given year should be identified. Each district, including one SDPO, has teams to conduct biometrics and provide shelter.