SHILLONG:
Nongkrem MLA and Voice of the People Party (VPP) president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, on March 28, made a “sarcastic” statement on the floor of the house, thanking the chief minister for noticing his absence while a reply on the budget speech was ongoing in the assembly on March 27.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the chief minister for recognising my absence but did not recognise the absence of his own ministers,” Basaiawmoit said.
Justifying his absence, the Nongkrem legislator said, a member is given only 10 minutes to debate on the governor’s address and the budget’s speech and “to expected him/her to stay put in once place for more than three hours is not fair.”
Replying on the budget, on March 27, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma spoke for a record of over 3 hours and pointed out the absence of the Nongkrem MLA while replying to his queries.