SHILLONG:
The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), on July 16, launched an all-out attack on the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government in an attempt to corner it on various issues including alleged flawed governance, joblessness, and the border agreement with neighbouring Assam.
Underlining alleged flawed governance as the reason why the state is witnessing several protests, the leader of opposition, Mukul Sangma said that many government employees are up in arms against the government, while many others are silently enduring “discrimination”.
“You’re witnessing protests from many employees of different government departments trying to draw the attention of the government to the various grievances they have. There are also many others who are silently enduring the discrimination. These are all because of the faulty, proxy Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government,” said Mukul, addressing a membership drive of the party at Mookaiaw village in West Jaintia Hills District.
He also accused the government of not recruiting eligible applicants in various posts despite having vacancies in several departments thus fueling unemployment in the state.
“There are posts which have fallen vacant due to retirement or untimely passing away of the employees; these are not vacancies which are created by the government. The government does not intend to create jobs for the youth. Many of our youth, who aspire to be teachers, have completed their MTET. The government claimed that once the interview process is completed, the posts would be filled up. However, the vacancies have not been filled up yet. These are all because of the faulty policy of the government,” the Songsak legislator said.
The party, which have been slamming the government for allegedly handing over Meghalaya land as per the “undemocratic” memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Assam to resolve the decades-old border row for some time, termed the agreement “undemocratic, insensitive and irresponsible”.
“The hard-earned ancestral land of Meghalaya is being compromised under the proxy BJP government,” he said.
Mukul further informed that the people of the state aren’t happy with the MDA government and want to oust it in 2023. “I hear people coming together to change the present incumbent government. Wherever I go, people, including elders and mothers, say that there is a need to change the government. Even people who are depending on coal mining for their livelihood are vouching for a change,” the leader of opposition said.
Also present at the meeting were AITC state president Charles Pyngrope, opposition chief whip and Umroi MLA George B Lyngdoh, party leader James Lyngdoh along with members of district council (MDCs) from Garo Hills.
While concluding the meeting, Charles Pyngrope urged the people of Mookaiaw to join the #BeTheChange campaign and become agents of change for Mookaiaw. Later, Pyngrope and Sangma also inaugurated the party office at Laskein.