SHILLONG:
Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma, on Novmber 10, said the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government led by the National People’s Party (NPP) has no unique scheme which does not root from the Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion (IBDLP).
Mukul, who is also parliamentary party leader of the AITC, was pointing out the sheer lie in the projection of the FOCUS scheme by the MDA.
“During my time in the government, to ensure that each family has at least three income resources, we introduced the Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion project. The FOCUS scheme is a part of the very same Basin Development scheme. The MDA initially demonised the IBDLP scheme, however, to this date the MDA has no unique scheme which does not root from the IBDLP,” he said.
Addressing an AITC block level meeting at Selsella in West Garo Hills district, Mukul also lashed out at the MDA government for their ineptitude in the state development sector and said, “Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project made way for travel, business, and market linkage for the development of the agricultural sector. MITP received funds of 120 billion dollars from the World Bank. The MDA government claimed to have spent it in two years. However, no signs of development are being reflected even after five years.”
He further reminded the people of the financial assistance he provided as a Chief Minister, and said, “I introduced Women’s Economic Empowerment through the Financial Power scheme. I used to give Rs. 5,000/- to women to open bank accounts.”
He added, “After coming to power in 2018, the government retracted the schemes. The money was still there, but the people could not take the benefits anymore. When we come to the government in 2023, we will ensure the distribution of funding to the people.”
Unifying the crowd with the message of peace and harmony, Mukul stated, “This is not a fight to be fought with weapons. This is a fight of ideologies.”
In his speech, Rangsakona legislator Zenith Sangma urged the people to vote wisely in the coming elections and said, “In the upcoming 2023 polls, we have to make the right call before voting so that peace prevails in the country and the younger generation has a secured future.”
Taking a jibe at the ruling dispensation over their hypocritical stand on the CAA, TMC MDC from Balachanda, Agassi Marak said, “Before elections, NPP said things like ‘we would reject the Citizenship Amendment Act’. Yet after winning, Agatha Sangma favored the same act in Parliament. Therefore, we should reject such a party.”