SHILLONG: Targeting the Congress ahead of the Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has alleged that the Meghalaya Government does not work for the people but for “mining mafia” and deplored that recurring scams had plagued the state and its governance.
Speaking at the party’s rally at Polo Grounds on Saturday, Modi, however, remained mum on lifting the NGT ban on coal mining in the state. He only said though the state has huge natural resources it lacks good governance.
“The resources here give more edge to Meghalaya than any other state,” Modi said and added that Meghalaya would have been the leader of developed states if the focus was on good governance.
According to Modi, Meghalaya has the potential to become the role model for smaller states, adding that the large presence of crowd in the venue reflects that the state is seeing a BJP wave.
“The wave for change, which began with the Assam elections, is now reaching Meghalaya. This state can do wonders. Fifteen years of Congress rule has ruined Meghalaya,” Modi said.
Various ills plague state
Criticising the Congress-led government, the Prime Minister said the party ruled the state for the last 15 years but till date, people in Shillong are not getting safe drinking water. Also, traffic snarls have become the order of the day in the capital city.
He also denounced the state government over poor healthcare and education saying there are no doctors in hospitals and PHCs and many schools are in deplorable condition.
Modi, while referring to CAG reports, said the state lacks in health sub-centres and even pregnant women here are not even given tetanus injection.
He also criticised the government over illegal construction of high-rises in the capital while alleging that there is undue delay in completion of projects in Meghalaya despite getting money from the Centre.
“There are scams after scams here under the
Congress government,” Modi said as he referred to the CAG report saying Rs 908 crore has remained unutilised in Meghalaya in the last six years.
Education scam
Hinting at the education scam, Modi said, “Why has the Congress government in Meghalaya committed so many scams? There was irregularity in the appointment of teachers. Incompetent people were appointed on the recommendations of Congress MLA and MP. Today, there is a shortage of 1,700 teachers in the primary schools of Meghalaya.”
He added that 70 percent of the teachers are untrained.
Modi also expressed concern over the increasing crime against women and children despite Meghalaya being a matrilineal state.
“Here money is stolen even from the food meant for children and sugar for the common public” Modi said and added that BJP will take Meghalaya to new heights of development because its “only agenda is development”.
Earlier, Union Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons said Modi is leading a transformative revolution in the country.
He promised that Meghalaya will be turned into the biggest tourism centre if BJP comes to power while asking the Chief Minister to stop stealing money from the people.
Those who were present in the rally were Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP leaders Nalin Kohli, Ram Madhav, Shibun Lyngdoh, JA Lyngdoh, David Kharsati and Edmund Sangma.