SHILLONG, JUL 24: NPP’s Shillong Lok Sabha byelection candidate Dr DRL Nonglait on Friday said he will make development of border villages, education reforms, and job creation his main focus if elected to Parliament.
Campaigning at Patharkhmah, Dr. Nonglait said communities along the Meghalaya-Assam border have long been neglected and deserve the same facilities as the rest of the state.
“Border villages need electricity, proper roads and good schools. Our people there should get the same benefits as those in Patharkhmah, Maïrang and other areas in Ri Khasi,” he told the gathering.
He blamed past inaction by the state government for forcing border residents to depend on Assam, which he said contributed to land loss.
With Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, Jirang MLA Sosthenes Sohtun and Nongpoh MLA Charles Marngar present, he said the region faces shared challenges that need urgent attention.
“We have to bring development and prosperity so that people in the border feel they are part of Meghalaya, that they are Khasi and Pnar and have not been left out,” he said.
“Once elected, I will personally visit these areas in the coming months. Border development will be at the top of my agenda,” he added.
Dr Nonglait highlighted the plight of Secondary and Higher Secondary schools in Jirang and across Ri Khasi that have waited over two decades for government support despite being recognized.
He said he has submitted a proposal to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Deputy CMs Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar seeking salary grants for teachers in Secondary schools, similar to the scheme for LP and UP schools.
“Education is still in disarray. We need a clear policy and we need people’s cooperation to fix it,” he said.
The NPP candidate said Meghalaya must set up food processing units so local farmers can turn fruits and produce into marketable products instead of relying on imports.
He also flagged the lack of a local shoe manufacturing industry.
He welcomed the state’s plan to build Market Complexes in Patharkhmah and Jirang to boost local trade.
On tourism, he pointed to Amkyrbai Lake near Jirang as a potential attraction and urged the government to develop it.
He noted the heavy flow of vehicles from Assam passing through Ri Bhoi to other hill districts and said the area should tap into that.
“We have beautiful places but we haven’t developed them. Amkyrbai Lake can become a major tourist spot if we invest in it,” he said.
Dr Nonglait said having an MP aligned with the state government would make it easier to push central projects and schemes worth crores.
“An MP from the ruling side doesn’t have to run from door to door. People can bring their problems directly and we can resolve them through dialogue. Work will go on smoothly,” he said.
He appealed to voters to back a candidate who can work with the state to secure ILP and inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule, calling them common causes for all parties.
“I am not contesting just for one party. I am contesting for every voter in the Shillong constituency,” he said, urging people to come out and vote in large numbers.
