‘New EC to clean-up corruption mess of Congress predecessors’
TURA: NPP president Purno A Sangma has said that the NPP led Garo Hills Progressive Alliance would ensure that clean administration is given to the people by the district council for which it would work in close collaboration with the Narendra Modi led NDA Government at the centre.
One of the top priorities of the new executive committee would be to elect legislation in the areas of customs and traditions and empowerment of traditional institutions.
“In the last 63 years of the GHADC the required legislation on various areas and the rules there on has not been formed. Our priority will be to enact legislation in the areas of customs and traditions, traditional institution empowerment like Nokmaship, protection of forests and environment and mobilization of resources will be our priority,” said Sangma while briefing the press on Friday.
With New Delhi holding the purse strings as far financial support for autonomous councils are concerned, the NPP chief said that there would be a close collaboration with the NDA government in Delhi to bring maximum schemes from the centre to the council. “We will try to bring maximum schemes from the ministries of Tribal Affairs, DoNER and Social Justice. We will give stable government for the next five years,” asserted Sangma while at the same time arguing that the district council can raise its own resources and do not need to depend solely on funding from the state and centre.
On the demand by NGOs to bar non tribals from contesting and voting in the GHADC elections, Sangma said the issue would need to be discussed and debated with participation by all the stakeholders. He did not rule out the establishment of a commission to look into the issue.
He also made a special mention on the need for a clean-up of the rampant corruption taking place in the district council where some members of the last batch had siphoned off lakhs of rupees for themselves without implementing the projects on the ground.
“There have been many corruption cases against the previous executive committee (Congress). We will take up the matter and if required shall also file a suo moto case,” said Sangma.
Accusing the Congress of using money power in the last by-elections to Chokpot where its candidate made a surprise win, he said, “The results in Chokpot assembly constituency comprising Silkigre, Rongrikimgre and Amongpara MDC seats have shown the difference between money election of the last by-poll and fair election this time. Even Nogorpara and Zikzak under Mahendraganj constituency represented by the chief minister’s wife have rejected the Congress.”
“This election to the GHADC was the semi-final. In 2018 we shall play the final match,” said a confident Purno.
