Our Special Correspondent
TURA:
In a no-holds-barred verbal assault on the Conrad K Sangma-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, All India Trinamool Congress leader and former chief minister Mukul M Sangma blamed it for all the ills plaguing the state.
Addressing Trinamool supporters at a mega block committee meeting at Asanang village, under North Tura legislative constituency, he accused the National People’s Party (NPP), founded by late PA Sangma, of stealing the mandate of the people by taking advantage of opposition disunity.
The former chief minister predicted that the assembly elections in 2023 will determine the future of Meghalaya in the years to come.
“We will not remain silent but take to the people the plight of the state created by this present government. People have suffered enough under this government,” said Mukul Sangma and remarked that they were able to form a government because of disunity in the opposition ranks.
“They (NPP) were able to take advantage because there were too many contenders during elections. Look at Dadenggre constituency where James Sangma (of NPP and Conrad’s brother) won. Out of over 27000 votes cast in that election he got only around 7000. But because of multiple candidates he won. He cannot claim the people’s mandate because 20,000 voters did not vote for him,” pointed out Mukul Sangma.
Accusing the government of piggyback riding on the achievements and work undertaken during his eight year regime, Mukul Sangma attacked the MDA government of ‘gloating’ over work initiated by his MUA government.
“The Tura medical college was my initiative which took off after I met Union health minister Gulam Nabi Azad during an event in NEIGRIHMS. The Captain Williamson Sangma University was started by my government but now the file is gathering dust,” alleged the Trinamool leader as he went on pointing out one project after another in a speech that had all the hallmarks of a mega campaign rally lasting well over an hour.
He charged the government with doing nothing to mitigate the suffering of the common people and claimed that the high cost of essential items was because of a cartel that was taking away the hard-earned money of the poor.
“For every item GST is charged but we all know GST is based on the sale or percentage. There is match fixing taking place between the central government and the state government and the victims are the common people,” he said.
He said that a common man cannot build even a decent house anymore because of the high cost of cement and iron rods.
“Why are iron and cement prices skyrocketing?” he asked and also replied that it is because mines have been privatised and held by big corporate houses that are raising its cost to boost its profits multifold.
“Economy is driven by the people. Only when there is money at the hands of the poor people can they spend,” advised Sangma and added that Meghalaya’s credit rating which was the best in the country during his tenure has now plunged to the bottom under the current dispensation.
On poor implementation of projects, the former chief minister said that the current regime is encouraging private companies from Delhi to operate in the state and take away both large and small works at the cost of the local entrepreneurs.
“File an RTI and you will find that every project is being undertaken by Delhi-based companies. They do not even spare a small contract for supply of computers to an office,” chided Mukul Sangma.
Not holding back any punches, the former chief minister pointed out one case after another on the government’s poor handling of issues.
He termed the construction of P A Sangma stadium in Dakopgre, Tura as ill-conceived given the lack of space for parking and other facilities, failure to fill over 3000 police vacancies, reluctance to appoint teachers to hundreds of empty posts, parting of Meghalaya land to Assam on the border deal, failure to complete the Ganol hydel project, absence of a trauma centre envisaged by his government, people’s unhappiness with the government move to legalise gambling, the poor sector problems and the questionable construction of the new state assembly complex where the entire dome had collapsed.
Urging the people of the state to throw the current government out in 2023, Mukul Sangma said that power ultimately lies in the hands of the common people who are currently an extremely unhappy lot.
“In Meghalaya there will be only two sides- us (All India Trinamool Congress) against all of them (NPP, BJP, UDP and others).”