Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
The People’s Democratic Front (PDF) legislator from Sohra, Gavin Miguel Mylliem, on February 3 filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Assembly election.
Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination papers, Mylliem said that his principle is that he won’t assure anything to anybody before time.
“But even if I do not make any promises, my aim is to work to uplift the constituency in various aspects,” the Sohra legislator said.
On facing criticism from his opponents that he could not resolve the issues in the Meghalaya Cherra Cement Limited (MCCL), Mylliem said that in 2007 the then government decided to turn it from a wet process plant to a dry process plant.
“The government had planned to complete the new plant in one-and-a-half years. But the sad part is that the plant was completed after ten years,” the Sohra MLA said.
He said that the machines kept in the plant during the duration of construction of the plant and with the wet weather in Sohra when it was started in 2016 nothing was working systematically.
According to him, the plant’s expected capacity was to produce 600 metric ton of cement per day and 18000 metric ton per month.
“But the sad part is that we are seeing the plant is producing only 5000-6000 metric ton per month,” Mylliem said.
He said that as per the ‘breakeven point’ – where there is no profit, no loss — the plant should be producing 10, 500 metric ton per month.
“But the MCCL could not even pay the salaries of the employees,” he said.
The sitting Sohra MLA said that the state government was paying Rs 300-400 crore for the plant during those years since the MCCL could not sustain itself.
Mylliem said that he and Shella legislator Balajied Synrem, met the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and apprised him of the problems the employees of the MCCL were facing.
He said that the government is maintaining the welfare of the employees through financial help by releasing funds every now and then.
The Sohra MLA also said that being a responsible legislator he would also have to get an assurance from the MCCL that after funding, it can sustain itself.
On allegations made by his opponents that the legislator has not been able to upgrade the Laitlyngkot Primary Health Centre (PHC), Mylliem said that as per the Indian Public Health Standard norms, to upgrade a PHC into a Community Health Centre (CHC) in tribal areas a minimum of 80,000 population is needed.
He said that there are four PHCs in Sohra constituency – at Laitlyngkot, Swer, Khadar Shnong and Laitryngew — which has a population of 50, 000.
“Yes, we understand that we need better health infrastructure but we should also know that we must meet the criteria of the central government,” he said.
Mylliem said that his opponents have misled the people on the issue even as he asked what did those who criticise him do when they were in power.