SHILLONG: The Opposition on Friday cornered the government for ‘destabilizing’ the Executive Committee of All Regional Parties Alliance (ARPA) and imposing Administrator’s Rule in KHADC.
Terming it as a pre-planned move, Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy said the government appointed a nominated member from Congress in the KHADC to reduce the strength of the ARPA.
“I don’t believe that the Government had no plan to destabilize ARPA as there was no reason to appoint a nominated member after waiting for one year,” Roy said during the Question Hour in the Assembly on Friday.
The opposition leader further said that the intention of the government to bring KHADC under Administrator’s Rule was aimed at bringing instability and also to encourage defection in the Council.
Reacting to this, District Council Affairs Minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh pointed out the contradiction in the views of the leader of opposition by saying that the statement given to the media on March 7 by Roy was for the imposition of Administrator’s Rule in KHADC.
He further mentioned that the leader of opposition had also moved a motion for dissolution of the KHADC aimed at holding fresh elections.
According to the Minister, Roy was criticizing the move of the government since the present state of affairs did not suit his interest.
However, Roy clarified that since there was no instability in KHADC with ARPA having 16 MDCs, the government should not have imposed the Administrator’s Rule.
Paul Lyngdoh (UDP) also questioned the timing of the appointment of the Congress member citing the case of JHADC where no nominated member was appointed even after a year.
Replying to a query by Pynshngain N Syiem (Congress), H.D.R. Lyngdoh said that absence of anti-defection law was one of the reasons for lack of political stability in the KHADC.
Meanwhile, when Saleng Sangma (Independent) and K.P. Pangniang (HSPDP) wanted to know on what grounds the Administrator’s Rule had been imposed, the DCA Minister replied that it was under relevant rules of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, but could not quote the exact rule though he searched for it in his file.
No wheat supply in GH
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Clement Marak said that since atta chakki mills (flour mills) were not functioning in Garo Hills, wheat is being supplied only to East Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi.
Replying to a question by Saleng Sangma (Independent), the Minister informed that as many as 41 flour mills are functional in the State.
To a question on the criteria of distribution of wheat, the Minister said that the office of the Deputy Commissioner (Supply) issues press release indicating the scale of issue and prices whenever distribution of whole meal atta is made to the beneficiaries through the fair price shops.
Rs 31 crore for flood relief
Deputy Chief Minister in charge Revenue and Disaster Management RC Laloo said that over Rs 31 crore was released for compensation to victims of the floods/landslides that hit Garo Hills in September 2014.
