Meghalaya: NPP MLA criticizes Govt for step motherly attitude to Jaintia Hills

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 24, 2020

National People’s Party (NPP) legislator from Jowai Wailadmiki Shylla has expressed concern over the step-motherly treatment of the state government towards Jaintia Hills region.  

Raising the issue in the just concluded reassembled budget session of the state’s Assembly, Shylla said that Jaintia Hills has for decades been neglected and ignored.

“Why is it that our Jaintia Hills is always the last recipient of all the benefits from the government, be it healthcare, education, and other socio economic development projects and schemes of the government. Be it sports stadiums, water schemes, establishment of educational institutions, setting up of schools, healthcare facilities, and others we in Jaintia Hills need them and we need them now. 

And that this step-motherly treatment is not acceptable. We need the benefits to be equally distributed between all the regions of the State,” the MLA said.

On the issue related to district council, Shylla said it is really saddening to learn that the staffs of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) have not received their salary for almost seven months and currently the Council itself is in shambles.

He said the JHADC in particular has been the major workhorse for generating income, which the state has been relying on to sustain itself for years now.

“From being the major contributor or revenue to the state of Meghalaya and now reduced to the state of almost being condemned,” the MLA said as he demanded the government to look into the matter seriously and consider assisting the JHADC.

Stating that the youths are the driving force, Shylla however questioned the state government on what has it done so far to empower the youths of the state.

“Is it enough to just brand them as state ambassadors or achievers? Can’t we help them go achieve a further goal in life?” he asked.

He said Jaintia Hills have been producing many sportspersons who have excelled in their fields respectively and brought laurels not only to the state but the country too, but most of the time they have done it on their very own capacity with mere or no assistance from the Government.

“I believe that this should not be an end by naming them Icons and Ambassadors, we should assist and help them go and achieve further and in as such it will encourage those hidden talents and promising individuals come forward and put Meghalaya in the Sporting Map of the Country just like Manipur,” he asserted.

Apart from proving assistance to these sportspersons, the MLA further said that it is time for the government to start recognising the area and one of the ways is by hosting sporting events of state and national levels especially when Meghalaya will be hosting the National Games in the coming years.

“By hosting some disciplines during the Games in Jaintia Hills we hope it will further help boost the morale of those hidden stars of the state from the area,” he said.