Residents forces two Meghalaya ministers to return without inaugurating Block office

Meghalaya cabinet ministers Alexander Laloo Hek and Abu Taher Mondal were forced to return without inaugurating the Integrated Block Development Complex at Mawpat, a suburb in Shillong, on Monday after residents protested against the government’s failure to honour an agreement.
The residents wanted the state government to adhere to the agreement signed between the Dorbar Shnong (village council) of Mawpat and the government in 2016 when the village council had donated the land for setting up of the Integrated Block Development Complex.
The agreement includes job opportunities for the local residents and to ensure adequate funding for the Block office for its effective functioning.
Moreover, the villagers expressed their unhappiness with the state government for its failure to implement the minimum wages for casual and contractual employees of Mawpat CR&D Block. The casual and contractual employees are being paid meager salaries, ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 8,000.
“Today’s protest was to ensure that the government adhere to the agreement it signed with the Dorbar Shnong of Mawpat. The government must respect the rights and sentiments of its people, and it should rectify these issues immediately,” Judah Wahlang, the Rangbah Shnong (village headman) of Mawpat, said.
Wahlang said that the village council would allow the government to inaugurate the newly constructed Integrated Block Development Complex once the government handover a written assurance to adhere to the agreement.
Emphasising that the Block office is meant to bring development administration closer to the people, CR&D minister Mondal informed the residents of government’s commitment to resolve the issues through a dialogue process with the village council of Mawpat.
Mondal said a new date for the inauguration will be announced once the issues are amicably resolved.
On the other hand, Hek expressed his disappointment with the agitating residents for not highlighting their grievances before the inauguration of Mawpat Integrated Block Development Complex.
“The village council of Mawpat should have come and air their grievances to me or the government rather than stalling the inauguration ceremony. We could have resolved the issues across the table as the government wants to bring development administration more closer to the people,” Hek said.