MEGHALAYA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

RE -ASSEMBLE BUDGET SESSION,  2004

BULLETIN NO. 8

(Tuesday, The 22^nd June, 2004)

               The House met at 10a.m.with the hon'ble chairman Shri M. Rava in the chair. The day was devoted for the transaction of Government Business.

1.        QUESTIONS :
               Starred questions Nos.102,104,106,107and 108 with Supplementaries thereto, were disposed of starred questions Nos.103 and 105 lapsed since the questioners was absent.

2.        VOTING ON DEMANDS FOR GRANTS :
              Grants Nos.21,22,23,24 25,and 26 were passed since  there were no cut motions against these Grants.
Shri M.N. Mukhim, Minister incharge P.H.E. moved Grant No.27.
              Shri A. Choudhuri moved his cut moved against Grant No. 27. The mover discussed at length on the role of Aus-aid  vis -a-vis the functioning of the P.H.E. Department.  He called for the clarification from the Minister incharge in regard to the policy and programmes of the department in the implementation of urban Water Supply Schemes (2) The items of works to be taken up under the Scheme (3) The Terms of Reference of the Aus-aid and the agreement with the State government of Meghalaya.
              The hon. Member from Mawprem stated that since the lunching of the Aus-aid in the city, it had created a lot of confusion in the minds of the people as to whether it would serve as a nodal agency on behalf of the Government or whether it would serve to cater to maintenance and upkeep of the infrastructure. He pointed out that the Aus-aid is an independent agency working under, the Government of Australia and that the CAVIER had set up two consultancies one in Delhi and other in Bangalore and on the context of which , he wanted to know what system they have adopted to identify the localities in the Slum areas in Shillong and what are the areas which they have identified particularly in his constituency at Mawprem which forms a major portion of the so-called Slum area and in view of dearth of civic amenities and he was at a loss to understand why the local public representative was never contacted nor intimated by the concerned department whenever survey and other indentification works were carried out in his constituency.
                Lauding the effort the Shillong Municipal Board in the management of Water Supply, the mover urged for immediate steps to control wastage of water from leaked pipelines and to formulate  guidelines to supervise on the working of plumbers.
                With regard to the Second phase of the G.S.W.S.S. at Mawphlang , the mover wanted to know the present status of this particular scheme and what was the stand of the Government in the matter of installation of high velocity pumps at Mawphlang.
                 Shri H.S. Lyngdoh and Smti J. Phanbuh took part. Shri T.D. Shira and Shri M. Rava also took part. Both the hon. Members supported the cut motion.
                 Replaying to the points raised by the mover of the cut motion and other Members who participated, Shri M .N. Mukhim, Minister in charge of P.H.E. stated that the department is to look after the welfare of the people of he state with the primary objective to find out ways and means to provide good drinking water supply. He apprised the house that the Government had selected P. H. E. Department as the  nodal department to look after the implementation of the Aus-aid  project in Shillong and that pre-feasibility mission has been adopted by this Australia Agency for International development in 1999. However, he added survey work was carries out by Aus-aid  since 1998 and there after , this International Agency had provided designs on improvement of Shillong  Urban water Supply which were accepted by the Government  of Meghalaya in Mach -April, 2002. The Minister incharge further replied that this project envisaged better services to the community by the way of improvement of the urban water supply and to  investigate and conduct survey works, collection of data's of water supply and sanitation including solid wastes preparation. He informed that the project is being taken up in two phases and that the time fixed for completion of the second phase was fixed on 24th March, 2005 covering many localities under the Shillong map. He told the House that the  government is going to setup the project -co-Ordination Committee for the Aus-aid urban water supply and sanitation under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary and that another State Level Committee to oversee on the project management with then Secretary or Commissioner of the P.H.E. Department as the chairman of this committee and one District Level Task Force Committee to examine issues relating to delivery of services under the chairmanship of the deputy Commissioner in which different representatives from different localities will be included.
                 The Minister incharge informed the mover that work on the  second phase is in progress with an objective to raise the capacity from 7.5  million gallons to 11 million gallons of water per day and that the work is going to be completed within December,2004. He also informed that with the placement of orders of high speed pumps with M/S VOLTA'S who has manufactured these pumps and they are now ready for installation the first pump of which, will be completed within the target dated in 2004. He also informed the mover that the Treatment plant of additional 3.8 million gallons capacity is now completed. The Minister incharge replied to the points of clarifications sought for by the mover and participants. The cut motion was later on withdrawn by the mover with the level of the house and Grant No.27 was passed. Grants Nos.28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39 and 40 were passed since there were no cut motion to these Grants.
                  Since the time was 1.0'clock, discussion on Voting on Demands for Grants was closed and under Sub-rule (3) of Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, the Chairman, guillotined Grants Nos.41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57 and 60. He put the question before the House - the question was that Grants Nos.41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57 and 60 be passed.
                 (The motion was carried and Grants Nos. 41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57 and 60 were passed).

3.        THE MEGHALAYA APPROPRIATION (NO.II) BILL, 2004 :

                  Dr. Donkupar Roy, Deputy Chief Minister incharge Finance introduced the Meghalaya appropriation, (No.II) Bill, 2004.

4.         SUSPENSION OF RULE :

                  Shri. J. D. Rymbai, Minister incharge Parliamentary Affairs move : That the second proviso to sub-rule (c) of Rule 72 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in its application to the Meghalaya Appropriation (NO.II) Bill, 2004 be suspended for the time being in so far as the rule requires circulation of the Bill four days in advance before the motion for consideration may be move.
                  (The motion was carried, and the rule was suspended for the time being).
                  Dr. Donkupar Roy, Deputy Chief Minister incharge, Finance moved that the Meghalaya Appropriation (No.II) Bill, 2004 be taken into consideration.
                  (The motion was carried, the Bill to be taken into consideration).
                  But since there was no amendment to the above-mentioned Bill, Dr. Donkupar Roy, Deputy Chief Minister incharge Finance, moved that the Bill be passed.
                   (The motion was carried and the Meghalaya Appropriation (No. II) Bill, 2004 was passed).

5.        ADJOURNMENT :

                     The House rose at 1.10 p.m. and stood adjourned till 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the 23rd June, 2004.