Shillong, Sept 13: The Meghalaya Assembly on Monday condoled the sudden demise of Independent legislator from Mawphlang constituency Syntar Klas Sunn due to COVID-19.

At the start of the second day of the Autumn Session, Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh informed that the House will take up the obituary reference to pay respect to the departed leader.

Expressing his condolences, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said this was the first time that a member had passed away while the House was in session. He also recalled the contributions made by Sunn during the past three and a half years through the kind of materials and inputs, the high level of debates with facts and figures besides proper homework and documentation.

“When it came to question, resolution or any kind of debate, I don’t think there were many like him who used to do homework in detail…He already had the answer to the question he was asking…,” he said.

Conrad also remarked that Sunn was not just as a good legisator but a very good human being as well who always respect everybody. He said the passing away of Sunn is a great loss to the House and the state as a whole.

Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister, Dr. Mukul Sangma said, “With a heavy heart I join the leader of the House in conveying our condolences to the wife and children of SK Sunn and to all those who are associated with him particularly the electorate.”

He added that for a member to suddenly pass away during the time of session is unprecedented.

Mukul said that Sunn when he was chief engineer of the Public Health Engineering and was asked to submit proposals he wold ensure that the detailed project reports are not returned due to some deficiencies.

He said that the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme is one of the government assets which is maintained appropriately.

“The commitment and dedication with which he had work had definitely made a mark in the history of Meghalaya, Sunn will be remembered for a very long time by us and the electorate,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the term of 2018 is very unfortunate to the august House. “We have lost five members within a span of three and a half years…this is the first time it had ever happened,” he said. Tynsong also prayed that God Almighty will be with all the members till the end of the present term.

The deputy chief minister also recalled that he met Sunn 12 days back in his office chamber. “We discussed few important issues relating to development activities concerning his constituency and thereafter I asked him ‘have you given vaccination, he said no I have not.’ So I requested him to get vaccinated and he said very soon I am going to do that,” he said while informing that the departed legislator was declared dead on September 10 due to COVID-19.

Recalling his long association with Sunn, Tynsong said the GSWSS is functioning well because of the former chief engineer.

“He has also contributed a lot in the sports sector. He has his own team promoting talented youth and not only in sports, socially he has contributed alot to the state especially to his area that is why in 2018 he was elected as member of this august House,” he said.

Former Assembly Speaker and senior Congress leader Charles Pynrope also recalled his first meeting with the former bureaucrat when he got elected way back in 2003. “…when i was first got elected to this house, my first job was to ensure to get good drinking water supply. I called Sunn that we require water in Umpling… you won’t believe he came himself personally and ensured we got a scheme. It was a deep tubewell system and now we have sufficient water because of him,”he said.

Pyngrope also informed that the former MLA was a football lover and had kept a scheme amounting to Rs 2 crore to renovate the stadium and field at Polo ground.

Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said Sunn was one of the most far sighted bureaucrats in Meghalaya. He recalled the many contributions made by Sunn before coming to politics and during the last three years as a political leader. Congress legislator from Rangsakona Zenith Sangma, “This is the fifth time that we have lost our colleague who was a sitting MLA. This term may be the highest number that this House has ever lost its members in a single term.”

He said Sunn, as a bureaucrat and a legislator, was very serious about his duties and responsibilities.

Other members also paid rich tribute to the departed legislator.