Replying to a question by Mr Manas Chaudhuri (Ind) on holding of civic election, Mr Lyngdoh said that the supreme court in its judgement on December 10,1999 had directed the state government to hold the civic election for Shillong. Election was fixed on November 25,2000, but only a single nomination was received which was subsequently withdrawn which led to the situation of conducting no election.

Mr Lyngdoh said that the working group representing "a cross section of people" was studying the matter and the recommendations would be submitted soon. Mr Lyngdoh said a number of issues need to be settled before arriving at a final decision on the Municipal election which has been entrusted to the working group.

He said Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong had asserted that the traditional institutions need to be involved in the election process for the new Municipal Board.

According to Mr Lyngdoh, the terms of reference of the working group include the study on the feasibility of involving the traditional local bodies on civic matters.

The working group will also look into the aspect of widening the Shillong Municipal area, review of the 1957 Municipal act, inclusion of recommendations of Ausaid and ADB group on Shillong civic amenities, Mr Lyngdoh said.

The election was last held in 1967. In 1997, a PIL was filed by two residents of Shillong in High Court for holding civic election. Subsequently, the state filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the order of High Court. On December 10, 1999, the Supreme Court directed the state government to hold the election within six months.

In a statement issued here, KSU Mawthengkut Circle organising secretary S Marwein said that the West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner KL Tariang had taken no action to check overloading by coal trucks despite a written request submitted by the student body to him three weeks back. The blockade had been supported by FKJGP and SSSS from Mawthengkut area besides local Sirdars and Rangbah Shnongs, he said.

When the Speaker wanted to know how many members were in favour of the motion, all nine Opposition members present in the House rose on their seats. But they were one short of the requisite ten.

Two Opposition members - Mr. AL Hek (BJP) and Mr. Deshan Sangma (NCP) were absent.

Mr Chaudhuri wanted to bring an adjournment motion on the slip-shod implementation of Central schemes. He had also referred to the statement of Chief Minister that missionaries should be entrusted for the implementation of Central schemes as the execution of schemes was not up to the mark. 

SHILLONG: The state legislators have stressed the need of initiating measures by the government for the proper improvement of schemes for the benefit of the people.

Moving a motion on rural development with reference to health sector, Mr HS Lyngdoh (HSPDP) said that the health scenario in the State had deteriorated over the years especially in the rural areas.

He also pointed out that the PHC in Maweit village in West Khasi Hills was occupied by the police causing inconvenience to the people. He further wanted the government to improve road connectivity and provide better education facilities to the people in the rural areas.

Participating in the discussion, Mr Manas Chaudhuri observed that the rural people in the State were languishing despite several Centrally-sponsored schemes being available. He said only 15 paise out of a rupee actually reached the target groups due to leakage down the line.

"Our system has given scope for loopholes and there is a need to make the ministers accountable," Mr. Chaudhuri said. He suggested that for each of the development department, there should be a consultative committee to have check and balance. The committee can meet periodically to make the minister deliver the goods, he said.

Accusing the government of being passive regarding the irregularities in the functioning of various departments especially regarding the implementation of Centrally-sponsored schemes, Mr Chaudhuri said that despite corruption charges unearthed, no corrective step had been taken by the government.

Referring to PDS scam and others, he said the government should own moral responsibility on various lapses in the implementation of schemes. He made a strong plea for setting goals for the concerned departments and periodically monitoring them.

Replying to the motion especially on health scenario in the State, Health Minister ED Marak said that the State Government was committed to look into the shortcomings as far as the health care of the people was concerned.

Immediately after their release at 1 p.m. on Thursday, the traders - coal supplier Rejoy and his agent Tngen - went to Dawki police station to withdraw a case filed by their relatives against the BSF alleging robbery and kidnapping.

Earlier, some BSF personnel detained the duo on Wednesday evening when they were coming out of a local coal firm near the Customs office at Tamabil near Dawki after receiving a payment of Rs 20,800, sources said. The BSF personnel allegedly snatched away all the money with them amounting about Rs 37,000 besides seizing the tourist taxi they were traveling in towards Dawki, sources said.

Sources further informed that it seems they were released after the intervention by Deputy Commissioner and SP of Jaintia Hills.

Informing this on Thursday after a seizure of 1,869 kgs of ganja worth above Rs 42 lakh from a forest area near Sohiong village in East Khasi Hills on Wednesday, Commissioner of Customs, North East Circle Mr RD Negi said, "we are trying to identify the exact locations of the cultivation," Mr Negi said.

Ten days ago, Customs officials seized 2,746 kgs of ganja worth nearly Rs 70 lakh from Lad Nongkseh.

Mr Negi said that the ganja seized from both the places was not actually grown in Manipur, as thought previously, but in West Khasi Hills.

Meanwhile, Customs department has identified some villages like Saitkhlieh and Nongthliew in West Khasi Hills to be cultivating ganja on a large scale, sources said.Shortage in supply from Manipur might have prompted cultivation of ganja in West Khasi Hills, sources added.

SHILLONG: It's a typical case of "kiss and patch up".

Health Minister ED Marak, who slapped his PSO on Wednesday appears to have just done that on Thursday. He sent for his PSO, did some sweet talkings and persuaded him to patch up.

The Minister told The Shillong Times that the constable met him at his residence on Thursday evening and regretted over the incident. Mr Marak said the constable also assured to withdraw the FIR earlier filed in the police station.

The issue figured in Assembly on Thursday with Mr Manas Chaudhuri (Ind) raising the issue wanted a clear cut statement from the government as it was a criminal offence. He also said, the PSO had filed an FIR against the Minister where it was mentioned that he was slapped by the Minister. He expressed concern over the police action of withdrawing security cover to the Minister following the incident.

Home Minister Mr R G Lyngdoh confirmed the House that the department has ordered an investigation into the matter. On withdrawing security cover to the Minister, Mr Lyngdoh said that security had to be withdrawn as policemen engaged for Mr Marak's security had become a threat to him.

Serjee M Sangma was a member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) from 1984-89 and represented Batabari MDC Constituency. He contested the elections on a Hills People Union (HPU) ticket and was elected to the state assembly in 1988. Under Late B B Lyngdoh's brief period of governance he was made a minister of state for PWD.

Later, Serjee M Sangma along with Projend D Sangma and Chesterfield Marak broke away from the HPU and joined the Congress under the leadership of D D Lapang as Chief Minister. He was elevated to the rank of Cabinet minister and given the PWD portfolio.

In a statement issued to The Shillong Times, GSU general secretary, Manseng A Sangma, and the Additional General Secretary, Tengsak G Momin, clarified that the agitation for demanding the winter session of the State Assembly at Tura was with the expectation it would act as a catalyst for development of Garo Hills.

"GSU has no intention to disrupt the Christmas festive season of the Achiks. GSU and its members are also Christians. Taking the celebrations into consideration, we have opted for one day of NCM only," the statement said.

SHILLONG: In a bid to deal with health hazards posed by unhygienic sale of meat in the city, the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) has ordered all meat sellers across the city to keep the meat in enclosed glass shelf to prevent flies and dust.

SMB Chief Executive Officer WL Lyngdoh, in a statement, said that the order would come into effect from January 15, 2007 and that license of the meat sellers found violating the order would be cancelled.

"All types of meat should be properly covered and should not be exposed to public view during transportation from the slaughter houses to retail shops," the SMB order said.

"About ten people died just in one month and hundreds others have fallen ill, said Mr Thabah adding, "many coal mine workers of Shallang, Maweit, Nongjri and Borsora were affected by malaria and some of them died just after two or three days," he said.

He refuted the allegation of the State Health Minister ED Marak that the villagers had refused to allow the medical staff to spray DDT at their house premises.

"This is a baseless statement as no staff of the Health department has come to our area to spray DDT," Mr Thabah said. He also urged the Government to immediately send a medical team to the affected villages to prevent the spread of the disease.

The Health department's inability to provide sufficient medicines at PHCs and SHCs is also one of the main reasons for the spread of the disease in the areas, he lamented.

SHILLONG: Chief Minister JD Rymbai on Thursday assured the state Assembly that the state government was committed to look into the problems arising out of the border fencing even as he agreed to circulate the minutes of the last November 27 meeting on border to NGOs and the MLAs of border areas.

At least on three occasions, the issue of Indo- Bangladesh border fencing was raised on Thursday by the legislators -one by Mr PT Sawkmie ( in the form of zero hour notice) , the second by Mr PM Syiem as call attention motion and the third by Mr Sengman R Marak in the form of a short duration discussion.

In his reply, the Chief Minister said the government was aware of the problems faced by the villagers in the border areas due to the border fencing.

He informed that as far as sensitive border areas are concerned, the fencing work will be taken up only after the Deputy Commissioners sort out the problem. Moreover, no fencing will be undertaken in the areas of adverse possession and also from the areas starting from Nongjri to Jaliakhola.There will be a spot visit of the border areas by the committee members including the CCIB on December 22, Mr Rymbai said.

He said the reconstituted committee on border issue with Deputy Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy as the Chairman had a meeting on November 27. The minutes of the meeting were circulated to all the members of the committee, but due to communication gap , many members could not get the same in time, he said.

The Chief Minister assured that the resolution adopted during the meeting will be circulated to all the members. He also appealed the CCIB members to come to the negotiating table to air their grievances.

Mr Sawkmie, earlier during the discussion asked the Chief Minister to have a meeting with the Union External Affairs Minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee to sort out the border fencing issue citing the initiative of the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Gegong Apang who met the concerned Union Minister expressing concern over China's claim over Arunachal.

Mr PM Syiem (Ind) pointed out that the NGOs especially the CCIB is concerned over the delay in solving the border problem.

Mr KK Dkhar has urged the government to supply the materials regarding the last meeting held between the newly constituted committee on border fencing with MLAs from border and members from CCIB.

Shillong: Chief Minister JD Rymbai has said that the NBCC has been asked to conduct a fresh survey of the existing BRO fencing in the border which is beyond 150 yards from the zero line and prepare a map showing the actual position.

Replying to a discussion on the problems related to border fencing in Garo Hills sector, especially at Rongra in South Garo Hills, as raised by Sengman R Marak (Ind) at the Assembly Winter session here on Thursday, Rymbai said the Government was committed to ensure that the various measures initiated for prevention of infiltration are implemented in a proper manner while also ensuring that the genuine difficulties faced by the local people affected by the border fencing are solved.

Earlier, discussing on the problems faced by the residents of border villagers in South Garo Hills, Mr Sengman R Marak urged the Government to institute a special spot inquiry committee to look into the problems. Dr Mukul Sangma (Cong) said that the State Government should take the matter very seriously as the villagers in the international border are affected by the faulty border fencing.

Inaugurating the two-day training programme on "Potato Production, Protection and Storage" organised by the Central Potato Research Station, Upper Shillong here on Thursday, Mr Rahman said that the main reason for low production are inadequate availability of important inputs like fertilisers, plant protection chemicals, healthy seed and poor management practices and also the prevalence of serious diseases like Late Blight and Brown Root and Pests-like Potato Tuber Moth and White Grubs.

However, he informed that about 10 per cent of the Indian potato is in the North East India while adding that the per capita availability of potato in Meghalaya is 78.7 kg per year, which is higher than the national level. A total number of 24 officers from the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture from all the seven North Eastern States including Sikkim are participating in the training programme.

Shillong: The Co-Chairman of the Meghalaya State Law Commission BG Momin has sought the intervention of the Government to create a Police Outpost at Damas, East Garo Hills in order to bring about peace and harmony in the area.

Mr Momin forwarded a letter addressed to Home Minister RG Lyngdoh here on Monday, written by the heads of traditional institutions of Damas, pointing out the need for a police outpost at Damas under Mendipathar police station to ensure that villagers are not harassed by militants.

Pointing out that the "anti-social activities and passage of militant groups are more prevalent during winter," the people of Damas urged the Home Minister to take action at the earliest.

In their opinion, "without the creation of the police outpost in Damas, the anti-social activities and movement of militants will never end".

According to the people of Damas, its location - along the inter-state border has "made the situation very sensitive as it is prone to anti-social activities that are carried out mainly from Asom affect the people of the area everyday."

"Local militants and Asom militants come and forcibly take shelter in their village," the people of Damas said. This is because Mendipathar and Dainadubi police out posts are 15 kms and 12 kms far from Damas.

They pointed out that while the Dainadubi police out post lacks man power the police personnel of Mendipathar police station do not patrol the area.

Meanwhile the people of Damas and its adjoining villages has sought the intervention of the BSNL General Manager to install the BSNL sub-tower at Damas to provide better communication facilities.

In a letter, the Development Committee of the Damas said that BSNL consumer of Damas, Kaskona, Chitukona, Chimatcha, Do'kamcheng, Songmaru, V-Naipoli, Matchakolgre, Rong'sol do not receive network either from Mendipathar or Dainadubi centres despite registration.

The consumers while availing the network within the State are charged at roaming rates and are therefore charged more than the usual rates. The consumer pointed out that they cannot avail the services provided by the BSNL.

Speaking to The Shillong Times, former Deputy Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said that the purpose of the album is to provide a platform and exposure for young music talents of the State who have the capability to excel in the field of music. Mr Sangma felt that Christmas Eve is the best way to convey the message of peace and harmony to all citizens of the State.

Mr Sangma claimed that the response of the people to this album has been tremendous while adding that more than a thousand copies had been sold.

Altogether, there are nine songs in the album that are composed and written by Ronnie, Ferdie and Max except for the song number seven which is composed by Rudy Wahlang. This Christmas album is being produced by the wife of Mr Sangma, Mrs DD Shira who had earlier produced the debut album of the band Voices titled "Na La Rympei".

The albums have numbers sung by Gracyl Ropmay, Voices, Tripity Kharbangar and Dr Mukul Sangma himself. The first volume to this album was released in 2004. The album is available in both audio cassettes and CDs at Rs 69 and Rs 100 respectively.

SHILLONG: Independent legislator Mr Manas Chaudhuri has urged the State government to initiate action plan to check the illegal collection of money at various checkgates.

Moving a Zero Hour notice, Mr Chaudhuri said that the government should look into the present system where every commercial vehicle is parting with money in National high ways. "Nowhere else so much money is demanded from commercial vehicles", Mr Chaudhuri said. According to him, the fair name of Meghalaya should not be tarnished by some unscrupulous people.

He also pointed out that the government should have given a strong denial after names of Chief Minister and Ministers were mentioned by the Goalpara truckers in connection with toll gate issue.

Transport Minister Mr Manirul Islam Sarkar in his reply said that any allegation should be authenticated with facts and figures and denied the charges levelled by the truckers association. He made it clear that as per the norms of transport department, the trucks will not be allowed to carry materials beyond 15 metric tonnes.

In addition to this, they also need to pay royalty to DMR and taxes to Taxation department., Mr Sarkar said.

SHILLONG: Cinema tickets, instead of Traffic 'Challan,' have been issued by the state police to Taxi drivers recently, making them an unhappy lot.

Not only did they dole out Rs. 100 to 150 for their offences, but they have to contend with the Bachan-starrer- melodrama, Baabul. The donors' card pertained to a film show held at a local theatre on November 9 last in aid of a service organization of which a police high-up is the president.

One of the taxi drivers, Wanaibor said, he was given the donors' card by the police for overloading. "I saw the movie and returned half way," he rued.

Similar cases of issuing of donors' card has been reported from various other parts of the city.

Not just the donors' card the department has also sent out a team to sell the Rs. 100 raffle tickets, police sources said. The draw was organised by the Police officer Wives' Association for Care (POWAC) in aid of the Meghalaya Police Public School.

One of the police constables said on condition of anonymity that most of his colleagues were 'sick and tired' of such duties.

"We cannot do anything. Instead of our normal duties we are selling tickets. We are just carrying out orders," lamented one of the police constables selling the raffle, mostly to taxi drivers in Police Bazaar.

Police said that the incident took place at the time when the victim was returning home from hunting in a nearby forest. The deceased is admitted at KJP Hospital, Jaiaw.

In the early morning of December 12, last, a huge truck, the kind that has about twelve wheels and carrying a dozen or more Maruti cars swerved dangerously at a turning just above Barapani. The truck was fortunate not to have fallen into the precipice below, otherwise, the damage would have been incalculable. Every day there are at least three, if not more accidents along the Shillong-Guwahati highway. No one cares because the casualties are not well connected. They just happen to be unsuspecting passengers or truck drivers and their helpers. If some VIP were to get caught in a similar accident then I am sure that politicians would raise hell in the Assembly.

Such is life in the state of Meghalaya. Human life, unless it is that of the high and mighty, has no value at all. We have lost count of the number of years that have passed since the Shillong by-pass was conceived. Every now and again we hear that people, through whose land the by-pass intersects, are being compensated. Their land is acquired and the alignment job is on. But that is all the snippet we get. Till date, not a single MLA has pursued the matter with the zeal that it deserves. Some years ago the Planning Board under the chairmanship of Mr SC Marak asked for a white paper on the Shillong by-pass. All they got was a two-page essay that actually said nothing. The Public Works Department (PWD), including all those who have held the portfolio of Minister, PWD (Roads) are answerable to the people of Meghalaya. They certainly must be pulled up and taken to task.

But who will do it? People are busy earning their bread and butter. Who has time to protest and carry black flags all the time? If people had to function as the opposition then what's the role of MLAs who are outside the government? What one has observed over the years is that MLAs ask questions only so they can hear their own voices but not to get at the root of the matter. Our MLAs need to know what parliamentary debates are all about. One MLA who does his homework diligently can give all the ministers a nightmare during the Assembly sessions. If we are keen enough to follow the Lok Sabha proceedings these days, we would be aware of the depth of understanding of issues that MPs from the Left parties, the BJP and others have. It is true that they disrupt proceedings to draw attention and political mileage. But over-all they are able to ensure that Ministers slog well into the night, abdicating all social meets and preparing answers to queries and supplementaries.

Coming back to the Shillong by-pass, while Meghalaya is caught napping, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) which has been entrusted the task of completing the East-West corridor that would run through Meghalaya and connect to Silchar and Mizoram, by 2008, has started its work in right earnest. Those who have traveled the Shillong-Guwahati highway recently will notice how bull-dozers have razed to the ground all the commercial buildings, particularly wine stores along the Meghalaya side of the road. Obviously these building have encroached on to the highway. And this is a pretty familiar tale in Meghalaya. Look at Shillong and how people unabashedly encroach on to the main road. Look at how miserly people are about parting with land even if it is for the greater common good. Sadly, no government has till date had the courage to use the special provisions of the law which allow land to be acquired by the Government for public good.

Interestingly most of the shops demolished were those selling wine. The only other building left to be razed is the green one near Jorabat which belongs to one of our high profile leaders. But my sources tell me that this too will not be spared. The demolition is necessary to accommodate the four-lane East-West corridor. Institutions like NHAI use their mandate to accomplish what they have been asked to do. They will not indulge in dilly-dally or try to please any politician. Whoever is affected will have to cover his own backside. Simple as that!

Hopefully what Meghalaya has left unfinished will be taken up by NHAI and with good reasons too. If a government or successive governments have not been able to accomplish one single important task, what are they talking about in the assembly and during the elections. Aren't they wasting everyone's time in filibustering? All MLAs carry the burden of failure because even while they were in the opposition and had the opportunity to follow the matter through by demanding that a special task force be appointed, they did not do so. Question hour on the Shillong by-pass have been insipid and lackluster. They were answered with equal blandness by the PWD minister and then became a forgotten chapter. The people who should be raising a hue and cry on the by-pass should have been those MLAs from Sohryngkham, Malki-Nongthymmai, Laitumkhrah, Laban, Mawlai etc as these are the areas most affected by the humungous and endless traffic of coal trucks. If a high-powered committee could be set up for building an assembly building on agricultural land and if everybody just said, "let it be so", why can a similar committee not be constituted to put the by-pass on the fast track?

I would invite all the 60 MLAs to take a walk, incognito, to Nongthymmai on any evening between 5-7 PM and witness the traffic pandemonium. Even the traffic police seem to have lost their bearings trying to control, what looks like an insurmountable traffic conundrum, which is none of their making. They are, in fact, in the firing line of the obnoxious fumes. Traffic police manning the roads from Sohryngkham to Mawlai must be the most affected by the polluting fumes and probably suffering from severe respiratory ailments. Increasingly, Shillong is becoming very pedestrian unfriendly. No one knows the purpose of a zebra crossing so no one respects it. A zebra crossing would probably work only if a live zebra stood there to stop traffic and allow people to cross.

No apologies for this cranky piece of prose since those in power deserve no respect and even worse indictment. My friend Toki Blah, in a recent article, made an oblique reference to the Sicilian underworld - the mafia. Indeed the political mafia in Meghalaya is a shade more dangerous, because, while they have been mandated to serve the interests of the majority, they immediately turn it on its head after the elections. The mandate to serve becomes a one-point agenda for serving the self.

Sometimes, I wonder why we have become so soporific about things that matter to us the most. Why don't we stand up and put an end to the laws that nurture only those who have failed to govern and administer? What do you call a bureaucracy and political class which does not give citizens the remotest confidence of being able to deliver clean, good, governance? The only word I can think of at this time is 'traitor'.

Sadly, come 2008, unless we do something drastic, the same old, sluggish, rounded, apathetic quislings will ride back to power. Can we allow that to happen yet again? No, my friends, time is running out and fast!

The party season is upon us and a news item that has been circulating is bound to bring cheer to all: A new red wine which claims to be more a health tonic than alcohol will be sold soon in the UK. Called Red Heart and made in South Australia, the wine has been grown and produced in such a way that it will contain 32 per cent more of the antioxidants than regular red wines and hence is being sold for its medicinal benefits.

And as everyone knows antioxidants are those good things that our body produces and which clear up those dreadful free radical chemicals in the blood stream, which is what leads to cell damage. But antioxidants that the human body produces aren't enough, so any supplement to it is always a good thing.

Which brings us back to the earlier mention of the party season — instead of ruining the internals of one's body it would be so much better to just ask for that glass of red wine and if you have one too many, no problem, for the old bag of skin and bones needs it. Doctor's orders, one will be able to argue safely.

It's funny how so many things in life swing from being considered good to being outright evil and sometimes back to being good again. Take the current villain, the fizzy drinks. When colas were first sold they were sold for their curative properties rather than as a lifestyle drink.

One early ad for a cola even proclaimed it to be a healthful beverage. It was also proclaimed to be a valuable brain-tonic and cure for all nervous afflictions. Ah well, the wheel of fortune has turned full circle, and some would say not a very happy circle for cola companies given the current climate against the beverage.

Even the humble H2O has had its share of proponents and opponents. There are those who (and I assure you all that what I am going to say next is not a lie) have tried to make the point that too much water is not good for the body.

Others have suggested that excess consumption of water can lead to weight gain. My sincere advice to all those who enjoy their vices, whatever they may be — feel free to do so, for they're bound to be considered healthy at some point in time. (By arrangement with The Times of India)

When Shibu Soren was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment this week, every one seemed to rejoice. This is the first case of a sitting union minister being sent to jail on charges of murder. The opposition scored a point against the Mr. Clean PM. The bureaucracy got excited at the punishment meted out to a rouge politician and smart Siddhu. However, almost immediately came the apex court's next deadly blow on both the political rogues and erring bureaucrats.

The court has now decreed that public servants could be prosecuted without the prior sanction of the designated authority, some thing which provided protection to many bureaucrats and an array of political bigwigs. Lalu and Rabri have their d-day on December 18 when Patna high court will pronounce its judgment on the much-ublicised charges against them. With the government deciding not to extend the term of the Liberhan panel on Babri demolition, L.K. Advani and others who have rejoiced at Soren's fate, have every reason to panic. The Supreme Court has already cleared Mayawati' prosecution in the Taj corridor scandal.

The high-rofile Navjot Sidhu has been punished for beating to death a road user in broad daylight. IPS officer's son Santosh is already on the death row. Just this week, the apex court has in a single sweep sanctioned the prosecution of such leaders as the BJP ally Prakash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh and Congress leaders like Rajinder Bhattal and K. Karunakaran. Jayalalithaa, Mulayam and professionals like Mohammed Shahabuddin and D.P. Yadav are on the firing line. The latter, including Soren, have extended their muzzle power to all those in power, including the Lalus and BJP.

Let's not mix up the two different issues involved in the ongoing friction between the judiciary and the politicos. First is a genuine grievance at the hyper activism of the judiciary to encroach into the domain of the executive and legislature. Parliamentarians have every reason to feel perturbed over certain new trends. The second is the guilty men's bid to take advantage of the court's curt moves to get at them. Even the bureaucrats lament that after the right to information act, the apex court's order has come as another hurdle in the way of taking bold administrative risk.

The new court ruling will cut at the very roots of the unholy arrangement to protect the scamsters by deliberately delaying the official sanction in exchange for their numerical support in the House and vote strength in elections. Everyone took advantage of this - Lalu, Pappu, Jayalalithaa and Advani. If Manmohan Singh is guilty of shielding Soren, the BJP has used Sidhu and Sukh Ram. We should also distinguish between the politicians who get into scams and scandals and those criminals entering politics with their muzzle and money power.

A redeeming feature of the contemporary politics is that the national parties like the Congress and BJP (the Left has its own strict ethics and discipline) are more alert against the scamsters in their ranks. In the case of the all-powerful regional bosses - like Lalu, Mayawati, Mulayam, Jayalalithaa, Badal, Soren and now perhaps Kumaraswami - there is no big brother (or big sister) to wield the stick. They have no built-in arrangement for self-correction. The sycophants make them more megalomaniac.

Yet the urban elites make big miscalculation about the loyalty enjoyed by the tainted provincial bosses. Shibu Soren, even after he was found guilty, enjoys wide acclaim from his supporters. There is already talk of his wife being made the party boss in true Lalu-Rabri style. At the peak of the anti-Lalu campaign by the local CBI man and certain overenthusiastic judges, the former was hailed as a hero by his loyal supporters who had led him in a procession to the court.

Mayawati could easily convince her followers how the daughter of a Dalit was being made a victim of vilification by the upper caste establishment. Courts may find her guilty of embezzlement but not her followers. Still worse, when such popular heroes despite their tainted image manage to retain their vote bank, the national players would invariably woo the same scamsters back into their fold. That is the tragedy of our democracy.

The Soren saga will not be complete without going back to his pre-murder conspiracy days. There seems to be conscious efforts to overlook as to what had really led to the murder of his personal aide Jha. In fact, this highlights a sordid drama played in the murky corridors of power, marked by lure of money, blackmailing and arrest threats. When Narasimha Rao assumed power, both the BJP and JD-Left combine had vied with each other to back his government which was then described as weak and unstable. A cunning Rao took advantage of this to the tilt, and in the process got himself trapped in a direct confrontation with the combined opposition in Parliament.

Rao had resorted to every trick of the trade to sustain his minority government. He quietly weaned away a big chunk of the TDP MPs in batches. The Ajit Singh group fell prey to yet unrevealed lures. The Soren group and tribal MPs from elsewhere were the special targets. Soren's undoing was his childish decision to deposit the whole bribe money in a nationalized bank and then quarrel with his own aide on sharing the booty. Over the years hundreds of legislators were taken round as captives by the rival groups but none of them were really caught.

This writer still remembers how Srikant Jena led us to a fully inebriated Govind Munda sitting in the presidential chair of the Central Hall. "I took money,' he repeated again and again, saying that he needed it so buy a house and look after his family. He said for long he was a political worker but lived in penury. Asked who negotiated the deal, he readily mentioned the name of a governor who had to recently bow out in disgrace and a then minister who had changed parties many times since then.

Then he confessed without any trace of guilt how he and other tribal colleagues were taken to the farm house of a Congress leader who is still very much active. He even put his signature on this writer's final typed copy (which he still preserves as a memento). However, not one daily published it. The editor of this writer was not very happy with the story either because, as he said, it did not enhance the reputation of a government that was honestly going ahead with reform and globalization. But years after, his government reeled under its accumulated sins. (IPA Service)

Sir,

The election of the President of India is on the cards and the responsibility of choosing the right candidate for the highest office of the land lies with the Prime Minister. In making his choice, Mr. Manmohan Singh has to make sure that his nominee lives up to the nation's expectations. For this he should choose a non-political, non-controversial person from one of the north-eastern States, preferably a Christian (not PA Sangma, please).

My idea of choosing a non-political and non-controversial person from one of the north-eastern States (and not from UP or Bihar) will, I am sure, be considered justifiable, because this will undoubtedly make the government at the Centre to think seriously over the burning issues of the most important part of the country. A President from this region would be able to understand the socio-economic problem of this region and be able to bring the distant, neglected and indeed misunderstood sentinel states of northeast India closer to the capital and mainland of India.

Yours etc.,
Omar Luther King,
Delhi-34
Via e-mail

Sir,

Apropos the news item 'Rs 15 lakh of govt fund misappropriated in SGH' (ST, Nov 23), the report was published without any investigation or evidence to confirm the actual facts. Neither SGH Baghmara nor the concerned NGO, Imbilnang Cultural Club, was consulted for the news.

The Imbilnang Cultural Club was registered in 1986 (Regd No. SR/ICC-634/86) under the Act XXI of 1860 and since then it has been actively involved in various social activities and has also accomplished some mega projects in South Garo Hills. Therefore, the Project Director, Baghmara had sanctioned Rs 15 lakh to the organisation only after taking into consideration the organisation's capacity to accomplish such mega projects. Therefore, the question does not arise how capable or famous is the organisation.

The on-going project was on progress and the details of monthly expenditure, cash account were submitted regularly to DRDA office, Baghmara and then the 2nd installment of Rs 18 lakh was supposed to be released in the month of March 2005. But unfortunately the same project director, Who had sanctioned the first installment, had diverted the remaining Rs. 18 lakh to Soil Cash Crop Division, Baghmara, without informing the present Program implementing agency (PIA), the NGO. Why the newspaper was informed regarding the misappropriation after 20 months i.e., November 2006 and why not when the matter was uncovered and the amount was diverted to the Soil Department in the month of March, 2005?

In regards to appointing authority, under the Hariyali Guidelines, Para 9, the DRDA was the nodal authority and had full authority to select watershed, appointing PIA, approve project reports/ action plan and treatment plan etc. Moreover, DRDA was the sole authority entrusted by the government of India to implement the project (IWDP) in the state during 2003-2004. Therefore, so called rushing in time to save Rs. 18 lakh was motivated. However, the Soil department had this privilege to take up the IWDP projects in 2004-2005 financial year.

The media must be watchful and investigate the actual facts before publishing such cases and bring the clear picture of the matter to the public not just the hearsay-version of the matter.

Yours etc.,
Mrs. Gentilla R Marak
Secretary, ICC, Siju.
Via e-mail

"We have to face elections in Meghalaya in about a year's time and the house (Congress party) has to be put in order," he said.

To a specific question on Rongjeng debacle, the congress leader said everything would be discussed during his visit.

"Leadership issue is part of our preparations for the next Assembly polls," Maj (retd) Ved Prakash said adding that the party and the government had to remain united to face the challenge.

In reply to a question how his party can face the electorate specially in Garo hills where Congress was relegated to a humiliating third position in Rongjeng by-poll, the party leader said "even in the Garo Hills the Congress can improve its position if the house remains united. You are forgetting that the Congress won both Assembly seats in the Garo Hills in last bye-elections".

Our Staff reporter adds: The meeting of Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) to discuss the Rongjeng debacle would be held on Friday at 11 am at Congress Bhavan in Shillong.

The meeting would be attended by only MPCC members. The reasons for the party's defeat in the by-election and ways and means to strengthen the party's base in Garo Hills would be discussed in the meeting.

NEW DELHI: After a spat over Arunachal Pradesh in the Parliament, the Government on Thursday admitted that China is illegally claiming about a lakh square kilometre areas of India in different sectors since the sixties.

Lok Sabha had witnessed a spat between Leader of the Opposition LK Advani and Mr Pranab Mukherjee over the Arunachal Pradesh issue after the External Affairs Minister said that discussions on the boundary problem were underway and there will be "some adjustments".

He had also questioned the BJP contention of why Government was entering into negotiations when a State has been declared an integral part of the country.

China has illegally claimed about 90,000 sq km area in the Eastern Sector, the External Affairs Minister on Thursday said in a written reply. While Pakistan has already illegally ceded 5,180 sq km area in POK to China, the big neighbour has claimed about 2,000 sq km more area in the middle sector, he said.

Most of the areas claimed by China in the Eastern sector belong to Arunachal Pradesh. This amounts to virtually whole of the Himalayan State.

The beauty queen, dressed in Adi Gale and Galuk (tribal saree and shirt) to the thunderous applause from the crowd, termed Arunachal an enchanting paradise and said she had spent her childhood at Tawang district of the state.

The two-day festival, being organised at Mebo, a tiny hamlet criss-crossed by the tributaries of mighty Brahmaputra, in the state's East Siang district wore a festive look as the festival kicked-off to a colourful start.

Chairman of the festival committee and state Industry Minister Lombo Tayeng said the festival was to channelise the youth power of the state into nation building. He said the government was encouraging eco-tourism to preserve its rich heritage, flora and fauna.

An Apparel show cum beauty contest, would be the special attraction of the evening where Arunachalee damsels in their best attires would sway down the ramp. Beauty queens of each district for the year 2005 and 2006 have been invited to take part in the show.

Besides folk and cultural competitions, musicians from across the country would perform here. The food festival has been the added attraction where 35 food stalls, 19 apong (local brew) stalls and 9 exhibition stalls were offering various tribal delicacies to the visitors, who have been offered accommodation in eco-tourism huts, especially designed by indigenous materials and built in natural environment.

Round the clock ferry services at Rane Ghat and Komli Ghat have been arranged to facilitate movement of the tourists to Mebo. (UNI)