‘Mukul’s popularity waning’
SHILLONG: BJP national spokesperson and Meghalaya in charge Nalin Kohli said the state Congress leadership has been rattled by the fight put up by KHADC CEM P.N Syiem, who was suspended for anti-party activities.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Kohli said the party is losing its popularity as a result of which the Chief Minister is trying to be in power in the KHADC by “violating all rules and regulations”.
“It is a fight where P.N Syiem is fighting on the basis of principles and rules whereas Chief Minister Mukul Sangma wants to take power by suppression and misuse of rules,” he told reporters.
Kohli said Sangma has sent the name of a bureaucrat to the chairman of the KHADC “but rule 12(1) clearly states that if the post of the chairman is vacant, the duty of the chairman should be fulfilled by the deputy chairman”. He added that if the deputy chairman’s post is vacant, then the charge is taken by a Council member appointed by the Governor.
The State government has sent the name of East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner PS Dkhar to the Governor to take over as the pro tem chairman of the KHADC after the chairman and the deputy chairman resigned recently.
The resignations of Chairman Mansturdy Nongrem and Deputy Chairman Donevan Wanlang, both from the Congress, came following the party’s stand to sever ties with the PDF coalition led by Syiem.
Meanwhile, when asked about the delay in releasing the pending amount of over Rs 15,000 crore under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources for northeastern states, he said the fund would be distributed as per the rules and “will not be gifted”. “If the states make schemes without following rules and keep schemes incomplete, then there is bound to be a delay as far as releasing of funds is concerned,” he said.
