SHILLONG/PHULBARI: Conrad Sangma said on Monday that the National People’s Party (NPP), if voted to power, will develop the hitherto neglected Garo Hills plains, which are mostly dominated by minorities.
Addressing a large gathering at a rally at Batapara Rongkhola in West Garo Hills’ Phulbari constituency, the NPP national president said the plains had been neglected but if NPP comes to power, the region “will witness transformative change and walk in the path of overall development”.
He asserted that NPP has a clear vision for the plains region and the party would not let the people down unlike Congress that had used the people here as their “vote bank”.
Sangma, while rallying for support to NPP candidate SG Esmatur Mominin, said Phulbari MLA and speaker Abu Taheer Mondal failed to raise issues for the welfare of the plains belt.
“There are five ruling MLAs from the plains of Garo Hills but there is no visible development in the area. The roads are in pathetic condition. There is no good educational institution, no proper healthcare facilities and the chief minister is making tall claims of equitable development in Meghalaya,” said Sangma and added that people in the plains had time and again reposed faith in the Congress but the leaders “never respected the people’s mandate”.
Among other issues which the Tura MP focused on were MGNREGS and irrigation. Sangma said village employment councils had to be strengthened for proper implementation of the rural jobs scheme.
He assured people that if elected to power, NPP would revive the non-functional irrigation project of Rongai Valley and further push to convert the Singimari, Rajabala, Phulbari and Tikrikilla road to national highway.
Sangma said he had taken up the issue with the Centre and would further push to ensure that the road, which is the lifeline of the people of the plains region, is developed.
“The plains belt is very important to ensure close ties with Assam and West Bengal and we will ensure that proper infrastructure are put in place for the growth of business and trade in the region,” he added.
EKH rally
In another public meeting at Pomlakrai held to drum up support for its Nongkrem candidate HS Shylla, NPP state president WR Kharlukhi rebutted the allegation, levelled by the Congress and Nongkrem MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit, that both NPP and BJP are the same as “baseless”.
“Even after eight years in power, the Congress doesn’t have anything to show in terms of development, so it’s natural that time and again it will try to raise this non-issue,” said Shylla
He also dismissed the “false propaganda” that NPP is losing ground in Garo Hills and said, “This is a stock statement that Mukul Sangma usually makes which is now being parroted by Nongkrem MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit. NPP wave is felt across the state and our opponents are trying to create confusion. We are committed to our stand to usher an era of new growth and development in Meghalaya.”
Speaking at the rally, NPP candidate from Umroi Naitlang Dhar said, “The rural road connectivity in Nongkrem is in a shambles and the sitting legislator was least bothered to work for the welfare of the people in the area.”
Urging people to vote for NPP, Dhar said, “If our leader is elected from your constituency, we would work together to accelerate growth and development of this area and ensure that people from all section of the society reap the benefit of the new government under NPP.”
