Mukul Sangma’s six years as Chief Minister
SHILLONG: There is a mixed response as the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who assumed office in the year 2010, completed six years on April 20.
While the Opposition pointed out various lacunae in the governance under Sangma, the Ministers in the Cabinet have praised his initiatives.
Sangma was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya for the first time on April 10, 2010.
He assumed the post again in 2013 after the Assembly polls and continues to be the Chief Minister till date.
NPP legislator and party spokesperson James Sangma, while reacting to the completion of six years in office by Mukul Sangma, said that the Chief Minister, who is also holding the finance portfolio, has worsened financial position of the state.
According to James, financial crisis which the state is facing is testimony to the performance of Mukul Sangma since Meghalaya for the first time is faced with a deficit of more than Rs 1,000 crore.
“The entire situation shows how badly, the Chief Minister has performed,” James said.
UDP vice president Allantry F. Dkhar said that the performance of the Chief Minister is not above average.
He also said that the Government has wasted a lot of time on non- issues in the state.
Dkhar said that recent protest by senior state leaders in Congress against some policies of the Central government is a prelude to things which will be unfolding.
Fearing a repeat of Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Meghalaya Congress members had attacked the BJP-led NDA government for trying to destabilize ( the Congress ruled states.
“Moreover, there is nothing visible on the ground as achievements under Mukul Sangma”, Dkhar added.
On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister and a senior Congress leader Rowell Lyngdoh said that the Chief Minister and the State Government under his leadership have performed well despite the criticism of financial crisis.
“The Government has taken up several initiatives like creation of civil sub divisions, community and rural blocks and setting up of police stations and I think Chief Minister is very daring to take such decisions despite several challenges”, he said
Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh also said that the Government has covered huge achievements and added that no one can deny this.
She said that nine out of ten times, the Chief Minister accepts and supports the feasible proposals for the development of the state.
She also added that the Chief Minister guides every one quite well with his vast experience in politics.
Sangma is banking on the various initiatives under Integrated Basin Development project to eradicate poverty when state will achieve the milestone of 50 years of its formation.
However, there are concerns whether the schemes lunched by the state government percolate to the grass roots.
Lack of collective approach on the part of the Chief Minister with due consultations with his ministers and party men on several issues had come under flak within the party.
However, the Chief Minister recently clarified regarding the questions on his style of functioning.
Sangma had said that before becoming the Chief Minister, he used to be always with the party men, but people thought he was befriending party leaders to topple the government which, according to him was baseless.
He said after becoming the Chief Minister, his focus was on “work, work and work and nothing else. Now I expect my colleagues to take care of concerns of the party men”.
However, the handling of dual posts, empowerment of headmen and the decisions related to MUDA by laws are some of the issues which the Congress legislators especially the KHADC CEM P N Syiem disagree with.
The upcoming by poll to Tura Lok Sabha seat will be an acid test for the Chief Minister, and if Congress is not able to win the seat, he may face further criticism from the party leaders after the Congress did not fare well in GHADC polls and Nongstoin by poll.
With two years ahead for the Assembly polls, the issue of change of leadership can again crop up considering the overall setback the Congress is facing in many states after the poll debacle of the party in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.