Shillong, Nov 22: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Monday rejected the Swachh Survekshan 2021 survey report which has ranked the state the lowest in terms of cleanliness.

“I don’t believe in such rankings. If you say that cleanliness here in Meghalaya is at the bottom, I don’t believe it,” Tynsong told reporters.

He alleged that “when they conducted the survey, I don’t know, maybe they confined themselves only at Motphran or maybe somewhere in Iew Mawlong but they did not properly survey the entire state be it urban or be it rural areas.”

Asking the authorities concerned to visit the localities and villages in both urban and rural areas, Tynsong said, “Go to any village in the rural area. Even here in Shillong, you go to the locality be it Mawkhar, be it Mission Compound or be it Jaiaw, be it Pohkseh or Nongthymmai side, you go and enter the locality you will see the cleanliness.”

“Because these are the responsibilities of the rangbah shnong, the local management committee which we have and they don’t need pushing from the government side. In fact they are the ones who push for cleanliness,” he stated.

According to the Swachh Survekshan 2021 survey report, Shillong has slipped its rank from 353 last year to 371 this year in the category of cities with population of 1 to 10 lakh. The city managed this rank with a total score of 879.58.

Shillong Cantonment Board has ranked 60th with 620.80 points among 62 other cantonment boards (cities) within the country.

In terms of district rankings, the survey put East Khasi Hills at 562nd rank; while South Garo Hills and West Garo Hills have been ranked 639th and 623rd respectively.

However, Meghalaya stood at 14th position in the list of states with less than 100 urban local bodies (ULBs) as per the survey.