Shillong, July 18: Cabinet minister and spokesperson of the MDA government, Ampareen Lyngdoh, feels that the demand for a winter capital in Tura should not be entertained as having two capitals will make it difficult for the government to administer the state.
ACHIK has been leading a peaceful indefinite hunger strike opposite the mini-secretariat in Tura for the past 8 days, demanding for the winter capital in Tura and retrospective implement of the job roster system. More pressure groups have joined the strike to express solidarity with the demands.
Reacting to the indefinite hunger strike, Lyngdoh said the state of Meghalaya has a very divergent combination of districts and if everybody is going to be rising and saying bring the winter capital here, bring the spring capital there, bring the summer capital there then it is all going to go wrong.
“It would be not correct to consider any kind of a capital anywhere else. We are in Shillong, it is the capital and we hope that these demands should not be entertained. That is my personal view because we will be in trouble if every district starts saying ‘bring this to my district bring that to my district’ it will be difficult for us to administrate,” she said.
“The very fact that ministers are going all the way to various parts of the districts with that one intention, we can come to your district, we review your matters, take care of the matters and be there to make sure that you do not feel left out in governance but we can’t have summer capital there, winter capital there, spring capital there, autumn capital here, it is not possible,” Lyngdoh added.
The spokesperson also reminded that so many blocks have recently been installed and put in position to bring administration closer to the public.
Stating that she is just looking at things from a practical perspective, Lyngdoh further asserted, “If you are going to have capitals everywhere then I think administration will miss the point.”
Meanwhile, she informed that the Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma will be meeting the leaders of the ACHIK and GSMC when he visits Garo Hills on July 24.
“I am sure that some sense will prevail and some understanding will be there as a result as we are trying our best to take the blocks to the people. When you say a block office that is when you know the presence of administration in that block otherwise we are going to have a big problem. We are not going to be able to control these demands,” she stated.
Also Read: Ampareen urges pressure groups of Khasi-Jaintia Hills to assess impact of railway in Garo Hills
