SHILLONG: The BJP might have just registered a thumping win in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and made significant inroads into Manipur but the KHNAM feels Meghalaya will be a total different ball game for the saffron party.
Replying to a query on how the BJP’s wins will affect its prospects in the State, president of KHNAM’s youth wing Thomas Passah said the party will have to sweat it out in Meghalaya.
“The BJP should know that the objectives of tribal areas are different from the rest of India. The people of the north east are still struggling with an identity crisis. The BJP has not treated the region like other states of the country,” Passah said.
He also pointed out that none of the BJP candidates won in the KHADC by-elections. Passah recalled that several organisations had submitted memorandums to BJP president Amit Shah during his visit to the city for the intervention of the Centre into various problems faced by the State but nothing has been done so far to resolve the issues.
“The frequent visits by Union Ministers are only an attempt to strengthen the BJP in the State,” he said.
KHADC revenue leakage
Passah also informed that the KHNAM will call on KHADC CEM PN Syiem soon to seek information on the leakage of Council funds amounting to Rs 8 crore during 2007-08.
Passah said that the Council chief may have been aware of the development.
An RTI filed by KHNAM revealed that the KHADC did not deduct the Value Added Tax from over 155 work contracts which resulted in the leakage of revenue.