TURA: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has exuded confidence that the Congress will return to power in the state after the February 27th elections riding the wave of development under his leadership.
“We have set a new benchmark for development in Meghalaya which other states will find hard to compete with,” said the chief minister while drumming up support for North Tura Congress MLA, Noverfield R Marak during an election meeting at Babadam, 26 kms from Tura town on Wednesday evening.
The chief minister, who landed at Babadam village on a chartered chopper, told the waiting crowds about a slew of developmental projects initiated by his government.
“In 2013 the people of the state voted for a Congress government. It was a record because for the first time in the state’s history the regional parties were not required for government formation. Despite challenges we were able to fulfill our promises made to the people,” said the chief minister.
“From PWD roads to locality roads in towns and villages, we gave each a priority,” said Mukul Sangma as he highlighted road projects including the Shillong-Nongstoin-Tura highway, border roads from Ampati-Mahendraganj connecting Dalu, the Shillong-Mawkyrwat-Ranikor to Baghmara road, Athiabari-Nongstoin road, and the Shillong to Balat road, among others.
He also mentioned about the government’s move to have a medical college in Tura and the Technological College for Architecture and Urban Planning near Tura which would be the first in the north east.
The chief minister did not fail to attack the opposition parties accusing them of hijacking Congress developmental projects whenever government changed in the state.
“Whenever we have initiated developmental projects the next government always scuttles it. Every project cannot be completed in five years. But there has to be a continuity which unfortunately does not happen when other parties take over,” said Mukul Sangma.
He cited the example of the Ganol hydel project for which he accused the previous UDP-NCP-HSPDP government in the state, post 2008 elections, of delaying because it was initiated by the Congress.
The chief minister also targeted the central BJP government accusing it of changing rules which led to the cancellation of the thermal power plant to be run by NEEPCO at Naringre in East Garo Hills as well as the shifting of the Tura medical college from the original allotted land at Jewilgre to Doldigre.
“My opponents always cancel projects initiated by me believing that it is benefitting none but myself. But these are projects for the people of the state. Politics should not be at the expense of the state’s development but this is being done by some of the leaders from the opposition parties,” alleged Mukul Sangma.