Even before the Election Commission of India could declare the election dates for Meghalaya, political parties have been in election mode for almost two months now. The State Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma has been inaugurating several new projects with gusto without spelling out the sources of revenue for completion of such projects. Meanwhile, projects that deserve priority such as the State Assembly building, medical colleges and power plants to augment Meghalaya’s electricity shortfall are all hanging fire. Who knows when and if these projects will ever see the light of day! To inaugurate new projects at this juncture is merely an election gimmick and it is hoped that voters today will not be misled by such populist actions.
The financial condition of the state post the ban on coal is precarious. There are no new revenue generation sources and no strategic thinking on which areas of the economy to gainfully exploit in order to reduce the dependence on central funding. A question may be asked as to what the different public utilities created over time have delivered, or, if they have become white elephants serving only a political purpose but using public funds that can be better deployed for public good in a cash-strapped state like Meghalaya. In fact, there are a few such institutions which should have long been disbanded. The Meghalaya Government Construction Corporation, the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation, Meghalaya Resource and Employment Generation Council amongst others have been used by the ruling dispensation to accommodate retired bureaucrats or failed politicians who have been conformists during their tenures in government. All these institutions require funds and infrastructure for their maintenance. They need to be publicly audited and their viability tested. If the NDA government could dismantle the monolith called the Planning Commission, then should states like Meghalaya not take a fresh look at their Planning Boards which too have become employment agencies for senior politicians who enjoy the perks of office at the cost of the public exchequer? Elections are a time to do a reality check on serious issues such as the above. If the previous regime returns, things are unlikely to change because change needs political courage. It is in this context that people in Meghalaya should be preparing for change. Anything short of this is just expedient politics.