Twenty-four athletes of South Shillong constituency were today felicitated during the first Sports Achievement Award, 2025.
MLA Sanbor Shullai and MDC Ricky Shullai attended the ceremony held at the Lumparing Indoor Sports Hall.
Each athlete received a trophy, certificate and Rs 5000 cash. Members and coaches of the Meghalaya Rock Climbing and Mountaineering Association were also honoured with a special trophy.
Sanbor said, “This is the first time that sportspersons from the constituency are receiving this kind of recognition. It brings me immense joy, as I believe this will motivate more youth to pursue sports and stay away from negative influences. Along with certificates and medals, we have also provided them with sports kits to support their future endeavours.”
The event also marked the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) Mela Welfare Scheme 2.0. Officials from the Urban Affairs department were present to raise awareness among Below Poverty Line (BPL) families about the scheme and the documentation required to avail of the benefits.
Highlighting the improved provisions under PMAY 2.0, Shullai noted that the Government of India has now increased the per-household grant to Rs 2.5 lakh.
The MLA disclosed that the total expenditure for the programme today amounted to Rs 2.10 lakh, which was funded through his Discretionary Grant. “Every MLA is allotted Rs 20 lakh under this grant to support their constituents. This fund belongs to the people, and I have used it to assist students, single mothers, and for school construction projects,” he said.
Shullai reflected on the evolution of the grant amount, recalling that it was only Rs 3 lakh in 2008 when he served as the Chairman of the Budget Committee. “Back then, we proposed an increase, and it was raised to Rs 5 lakh. Over time, it was further increased to Rs 10 lakh, and post-COVID, I proposed another hike. The amount was finally increased to Rs 20 lakh in September 2024,” he added.
The MLA claimed to have already spent Rs 27 lakh for his constituency, with an additional Rs 7 lakh from his personal salary. He assured that a Utilisation Certificate (UC) would be submitted to the Assembly Secretariat as per guidelines, stating that failure to submit the UC would result in forfeiture of the next grant installment.
“I cannot speak for other MLAs, but as per the guidelines, this grant is meant for public welfare. Utilisation certificates must be submitted in time, or the next year’s grant will not be released,” Shullai emphasised.
