SHILLONG: A day after the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma predicted a bright future for the state in terms of economic development, the Opposition UDP has come down heavily on the Congress party and the Chief Minister for the financial mess for the last 30 years under the Congress rule.
Under 14th Finance commission, Meghalaya got the least amount of money compared to other Northeastern states which was criticized by the UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh recently.
While reacting to the comments of UDP MLA, the Chief Minister on Thursday claimed that Meghalaya will become a revenue-surplus state in the next five years.
However, the former Deputy Chief Minister and UDP leader Bindo M Lanong said on Friday that besides Mukul Sangma, during the last 43 years of statehood, several stalwarts of the Congress including Capt. W A Sangma, SC Marak, and DD Lapang had ruled the state at least for thirty years , but the Congress regime could not lift the State in terms of development.
“Congress has not been able to do anything to lift Meghalaya at least to the position of the neighbour like Tripura which was once a poor state”, Lanong deplored.
He also wanted the people to see the pathetic condition of the capital Shillong.
“There is frequent disruption of power, water supply besides the perennial traffic snarl and worsening condition of the roads in the city”, Lanong pointed out.
If the Shillong roads are in a sorry state of affairs, what would be the condition of rural roads in Khasi Hills and Garo Hills, he asked.
According to the UDP leader, under the Congress rule, everything boils down to corruption.
“There is a corruption tag for the Congress, hence everywhere, the party was ousted from power”, Lanong He said that the statement of Chief Minster that within five years, the State will be revenue surplus is only a tall and nonsensical claim.
“I can challenge that the Congress would not be able to do anything in the next 30 years after wasting the past due to the misrule of the party in the state for the last 30 years”, Lanong said.
While Mukul had gone to Delhi expecting Rs 50,000 crore, Meghalaya got the least from
Centre, Lanong said, adding it was the style of functioning of the Chief Minister which resulted in the financial crunch.
He said the poor budgetary approach including basin development project, lavish spending and lack of revenue generation from several departments including taxation and transport have mainly added to the current problem.
The UDP leader wanted Mukul Sangma to explain about at least one Government department which is having revenue surplus instead of taking the people for a ride.
Alleging that the Congress is a corrupt party, the UDP leader said that even to get tickets to contest election, one has to pay heavily which will be made up later.
Meanwhile, the UDP working president and legislator Jemino Mawthoh on Friday said that the claim of the Chief Minister that the State is financially sound because of good performance and that the state in 6-7 years would be able to look after itself and contribute to national growth is preposterous and without any element of truth.
” The justification by the Chief Minister is misleading and is not reflective of the present financial state of affairs”, Mawthoh said in a statement .
It would be interesting to know how the Government worked out the figures indicating less revenue deficit as compared to the other Northeastern states, he said.
” I fail to understand how the state can claim better performance when apparently we have failed miserably in all fronts. Perhaps, the figures have been juggled up and calculations have gone awry”, he UDP legislators said
A lay person would look at the financial health of the state from a different angle. ”
He wondered as to why the Additional Chief Secretary in charge Finance made a statement that to tide over the financial crisis owing to NGT ban, the Government had to impose a huge 20 % cut on non-plan budget since last April and also had to resort to increasing additional resource mobilization from taxation, excise and transport.
According to Mawthoh, the Additional Chief Secretary had stated that due to the loss of revenue due to the NGT ban on coal mining, the state is seeking financial support from the Centre to make good for the losses.
He said these statements of the official contradict the claim of the Chief Minister that less revenue deficit reflects good performance of the state. Why did we get a pittance when the requirement is much more?, he asked
“Can we boast that we have achieved a lot in terms of development? Whether it is creation of infrastructure, non plan expenses, creation of new districts, payment of salaries and arrears, creation of new posts , state specific programmes, basin development, and others costing additional huge expenditure to the state exchequer”, he said
The State appears to have more liabilities instead of real development. The climate of economic insecurity looms large at the people of the state of Meghalaya, Mawthoh added.
