Shillong, April 24: Ri Bhoi district is conspicuously absent in a performance report brought out by the one-year-old Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) government.
The government’s performance report — “360 Degree Development in 365 Days” — highlighted the achievements of the past year.
It was released on April 20 at Hotel Pinewood here by chief minister Mukul Sangma.
Apart from listing the achievements of 31 departments, the report also showcased the accomplishments made by six districts among the seven.
However, Ri Bhoi district did not find any mention in the report. Only the achievements made by West Khasi Hills, East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, East Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills districts were mentioned. For the West Khasi Hills district, the only achievement mentioned in the report was the construction of an RCC arch footbridge over Weinia waterfalls at an estimated cost of Rs 18,68,996.
The government termed this achievement as a “classic case of convergence”.
In the East Garo Hills, one of the achievements claimed by the government was the relief provided to 18,979 people registered in the relief camps apart from the compensation package provided to 1,036 affected families following the ethnic clash in Resubelpara bordering Assam in January.
The Samanda community and rural development block in East Garo Hills district has achieved the unique distinction of 99.97 person days per household under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Other central schemes include the Indira Awaas Yojana, Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana and Total Sanitation Campaign.
The government also claimed the preliminary steps undertaken to set up an integrated check point on National Highway 62, to be an achievement.
For the West Garo Hills, achievements made under the NREGS and the production of software to prepare plans and estimates, to overcome the problem of technical manpower were listed.
Among the achievements made in the South Garo Hills include the implementation of a Rs 6-crore project to promote circuit tourism and develop tourist infrastructure.
In the East Khasi Hills, progress made under NREGS, Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana and Total Sanitation Campaign were highlighted while in Jaintia Hills, the construction of a community hall with Rs 10 lakh at Laskein community and rural development block was listed as an achievement.
But sources said Ri Bhoi was the leading district in the state in the implementation of NREGS in 2010-11. With an average of 86 man days per household, the district outclassed the others. East Garo Hills stood second with 81 man days.
Ri Bhoi also has the distinction of giving the state three chief ministers, surpassed only by East Khasi Hills which has given four chief ministers.
