CM, Tynsong take away lion’s share
SHILLONG: Partiality in the allotment of road schemes for the newly created South West Garo Hills which is represented by the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and Pynursla, East Khasi Hills, the constituency of Community and Rural Development Minister Prestone Tynsong has come to the fore with the list related to the scheme revealing the anomaly.
The Minister was cornered in the assembly on Wednesday by the Opposition over the disparity in the allocation of the Special Plan Assistance (SPA) – Critical Village Roads including bridges in border villages 2013-2014.
The Opposition leader Dr Donkupar Roy questioned as to why the scheme was allocated only to villages in East Khasi Hills and South West Garo Hills.
While going through the list of villages covered under this scheme, Dr Roy said that it was really amazing to know that many villages which were mentioned in the list were in Pynursla constituency which was the constituency of the C&RD Minister.
“I want to know why the villages from other districts are not considered to avail the scheme. There are 100 villages under my constituency Shella
and they have no (knowledge about the scheme,” the Opposition leader said.
Taking a cue from the Opposition leader, Garo National Council (GNC) legislator from Chokpot Clifford R Marak too questioned the reason why villages from other districts of Garo Hills were not considered for the scheme.
“It is totally unjustified that only the villages from South West Garo Hills are availing the scheme only because the Chief Minister belongs to this district,”
In reply, Tysong asserted that it was the responsibility of the concerned village dorbar to submit a proposal for the scheme to the department.
“After receiving the proposal, I have asked the various Deputy Commissioners to conduct a survey on the feasibility of the project. We allocated the scheme depending on the feasibility of the proposal,” the Community and Rural Development Minister said.
He also expressed strong reservation over the observation of the Opposition Leader.
“Going by the observation, it looks like that I have put the projects into my pocket. The scheme has been sanctioned for the overall development of the State,” Tynsong said.
To a supplementary question raised by the Opposition Leader, the C&RD Minister has denied that he had assured to the people to extend financial assistance for certain development programmes during his recent visit at Umniuh-Tmar and Nongjri villages.
Agitated by the question of Dr Roy in this regard, the Minister said that the Opposition leader was trying to be personal.
“I would not tolerate this kind of questions. I can also expose him,” Tynsong said, adding that when Roy was the Chief Minister, he had not rendered any help regarding the implementation of some schemes by expressing his inability in helping Tynsong since he was an Opposition member.
Both Roy and Marak took exception to the remarks of the Minister.
In reply, the Opposition leader said that he was not trying to be personal.
“I am only putting the question which the people need to know,” he said