SHILLONG: The tussle between two departments to implement the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme was at the root of the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government’s collapse in 2009.
A legislator, who was an integral part of the MPA government back in 2008, made this revelation on Friday recalling that issues between the alliance partners cropped up during the implementation of the scheme.
The MLA, requesting anonymity, said the Union government at that time had sanctioned around Rs 200 crore for the scheme, which was to be routed through the Urban Affairs Department.
“However, both the urban affairs and the public health engineering departments were adamant in implementing the project, which literally led to the break-up of the partners. Subsequently, the alliance came crashing to the ground,” the legislator said.
Meghalaya has witnessed several political rumblings in the past and the MPA collapse in 2009 was one such instance, giving the Congress a chance to form the government. Since then, Congress has remained untouchable as no party has been able to remove it from power till date.
The MLA said that former chief minister Donkupar Roy and even the late PA Sangma had then convened a meeting of both the departments to iron out their issues, but in vain.
MPA was the ruling coalition of political parties forming the government in the state from 2008 to 2009. It was led by the Nationalist Congress Party and United Democratic Party.
Citing another reason for the collapse of the alliance, the legislator said the fact that it had the support of exactly 31 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly meant that it was in a vulnerable situation, which ultimately paved the way for its debacle.
By June though, the MPA secured support from two additional Independent MLAs. This took the ruling party’s count to 33 in the 60-member Assembly.
However, in March 2009, Meghalaya was put under President’s Rule, and later, the government collapsed, paving the way for the formation of another coalition government led by Congress and UDP.
