By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: KHNAM president and the party candidate for Mawlai seat, Pyndapborthiaw Saiborne, on Wednesday came down heavily on Mawlai sitting legislator and Congress candidate Founder S Cajee for making a false claim that he had brought Rs 50 crore for development of the constituency in the last five years.
“It is shocking that the sitting legislator is shamelessly claiming the initiatives taken by others. Prominently, the VIP road which he (Cajee) is claiming to be his own was an initiative of former Chief Minister (late) EK Mawlong. This project was followed up by none other than former Mawlai legislator PT Sawkmie,” Saiborne said while speaking to reporters after filing his nominations papers here on Wednesday.
While referring to the proposed Mawlai Bypass project, he said that this project is yet to be approved by the Government and it is still in the proposal stage.
“I fail to understand how the sitting legislator can claim this project as his achievement since it is yet to take off. The people are not fools to believe in these false claims which Cajee is making,” Saiborne said.
“The ground reality is that there has been no development in the constituency for the past five years,” he said. When asked about the prospects of KHNAM in this election, he said that the party is hoping to win at least three out of the four seats which it is contesting.
He, however, stated that the party would prefer to sit in the Opposition if they manage to have any representative in the next Assembly.
“If the situation demands, the party would agree to give outside support to any Government on given terms and conditions,” the KHNAM president said.
When asked about the issues which the party would be stressing on, Saiborne said the first thing which the party would raise is the issue of influx.
“We would continue with our demand to put up a fool-proof mechanism to check the problem of influx,” Saiborne added.
He also said that the party would demand withdrawal of the Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty, 1950.
“This treaty has become a nemesis for the State as thousands of migrant labourers are flowing into the State taking advantage of the free movement under the Treaty,” he said.
To a query on why he had not brought his supporters like other candidates while filing his nomination, Saiborne said, “I have realized that the common people are suffering due to the rally taken by the candidates for filing of nomination. I would not want the people to face problems on account of my rally.”