MLAs ask govt to put on hold non-essential projects, identify local skills

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 20, 2020

Legislators from three constituencies have suggested the state government to keep in abeyance non-essential projects and conduct a survey to identify skilled and highly-skilled workers from among the local people in the state.   

The suggestion was made after the three legislators – Himalaya M Shangpliang (Mawsynram), Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar (Mawkyrwat) and Pius Marwein (Ranikor) – held a meeting with a delegation of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) South West Khasi Hills District here on Saturday.

The KSU has been expressing strong opposition against the government’s move to bring in skilled and highly-skilled labourers from other states for implementation of various projects fearing that they could become the reason for spreading of COVID-19 in the state.

After the meeting, Tongkhar told reporters that the MLAs are equally concerned on the issue related to workforce from outside the state especially while taking into consideration the situation in neighbouring Assam, which is witnessing an increase in the coronavirus cases.  

“We have assured the delegation of the KSU that we will take up this issue with the state government along with suggestions,” he said.

Stating that South West Khasi Hills also has important road projects from Ranikor to Maheshkhola and from Lad-mawreng to Ranikor, the HSPDP MLA said, “We will advise the government to utilize the available local resources for implementation of such projects.”

According to him, the government has to strike a balance between health safety of the people and developmental activities.

In addition, Shangpliang said the government can keep in abeyance the non-essential projects inview of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said with the primary concern being on highly-skilled labourers from outside the state, the government can start identifying the skills of those citizens, who have recently returned from different parts of the country due to the COVID-19 crisis.  

“I have also raised this issue in the floor of the Assembly during the reassembled budget session. The government should conduct a survey to identify and classify the skills which our local people are having and accordingly utilize them,” the Congress legislator asserted.

The Mawsynram MLA however said in case of projects where engaging of labourers from outside the state is unavoidable, the government has to ensure that they will be allowed to enter the state only if they produce a certificate to certify that they are ‘free from COVID infections’.

On the other hand, Tongkhar also appreciates the initiative taken by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) to provide skill training to local people of South West Khasi Hills along with stipend.

“However, we have decided to suggest the NHIDCL to increase the number of trainees by reducing the amount of the stipend (which is upto Rs 15,000) and to ensure that the training should be conducted within the district as it is not practical for the same to be  held in Guwahati,” he said.

On the alleged failure of the district administration to restrict entry of outsiders, Shangpliang admitted that some people from outside the state have been detected in the district.

“However, we cannot say that the district administration has failed but they only need to proactively implement the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government from time to time. If possible, the MLAs and KSU will sit to discuss the issue with the district administration,” he said.

Later while speaking to reporters, KSU-SWKH president Forwardman Nongrem said that the delegation has urged the MLAs to pressurize the government to keep on hold its decision to bring highly-skilled labourers from outside especially with regards to non-essential projects.

“We are not against development but the time as such is not right to allow outsiders to freely enter the state. For essential services, we are of the opinion that before bringing outside labourers, the government should first identify and give preferences to our local people,” he said.  

The KSU further stated that the government’s focus should be on how to contain the spread of the COVID-19 in the interest of the citizens of the state.

“In case there is an outbreak in Mawsynram block and South West Khasi Hills, which are having only 13-14 doctors, we know that the health care system will no doubt collapse. We also do not want the office of the DC to become a sort of a mechanism to facilitate entry of outsiders during this pandemic,” he said while maintaining that the union will continue to oppose the government’s decision.

Asked, Nongrem said that SOPs issued by the government pertaining to highly-skilled labourers from outside the state only look good in paper but practically it is not. “The idea of asking labourers from outside the state to undergo quarantine for 14 days in the state will never be accepted,”he said.