SHILLONG: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Saturday slammed the Congress-led Meghalaya Government alleging that State Government had been working for not for the people but for `mining mafias’.
Speaking at the BJP’s ‘Rally for Change’ in Polo ground here, Modi, however, remained mum on the lifting of NGT ban on coal mining in the state. He said the state had huge mineral resources like coal, lime stone and granite but lacked good governance.
“Lack of good governance in the state has been a major impediment in industrialisation as well as in tourism development despite its potential,” Modi said.
“The resources here give more edge to Meghalaya than any other state,” Modi said, adding that the State would have been the leader among developed states if the focus of the State Government was good governance.
According to ModI, Meghalaya has the potential to become the role model of smaller states and the large presence of crowd in the rally reflects that the State is witnessing a BJP wave.
Criticising the Congress-led State Government, the Prime Minister said that Congress had been ruling the State for the last 15 years but till date, people in Shillong were not getting safe drinking water while traffic congestion had become synonymous with the capital city Shillong.
He also attacked the State Government over poor condition of Hospitals and schools in the state.
Modi while referring to the CAG report of 2015-16 said that the State lacked health sub-centres while pregnant women here were not even given tetanus injection
He also criticised the Government over the illegal construction of high rise buildings in the capital while alleging that projects in Meghalaya were not being completed in time despite getting money from the Centre.
“There have been scams after scams here under the Congress Government,” Modi said while adding as per the CAG report, an amount of Rs 908 crores in the last 6 years has remain unutilised in Meghalaya
On education sector, Modi said that there was shortage of over 1700 teachers in different colleges besides 70 per cent of the teachers were not trained here. Referring to the teachers recruitment scam that has rocked the state. Modi said wrong people were chosen by the Government.
Modi also expressed concern over the increasing crime against women and children despite Meghalaya being a matrilineal state
“Under the Congress rule here, money meant for providing food to school children and sugar for the common public is being stolen,” Modi said.
Claiming that BJP will take Meghalaya to new heights of development, Modi added that BJP’s only agenda was ‘development, speedy development and all-encompassing development’.
Earlier, Union Minister of State for Tourism, K J Alphons said that Prime Minister, Narendra Mod was leading a transformative revolution in the country.
He promised that Meghalaya would be turned into the biggest tourist destination if BJP came to power in the state after the next election. Alphons called upon the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to stop stealing money from the people.