‘Centre turned down state’s plea to firm up police infra’

SHILLONG: A day after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh castigated the state government over the worsening law and order situation in the state, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma hit back saying the proposals of the state government to strengthen police stations — approved by the UPA-II government — were all withheld by the BJP-led government at the Centre.
While referring to the blast that claimed the life of Williamnagar NCP candidate Jonathone N Sangma, Singh had told a gathering at an election rally in Songsak on Monday that there was utter chaos and total failure of law and order in Meghalaya.
Terming Singh’s statement a “most irresponsible comment”, Sangma said the BJP-led government never showed any interest in the proposals placed by the state government for improving police infrastructure. However, it was the state government, he said, that had created the Special Force-10 wherein over 1700 personnel were recruited to tackle insurgency and promote law and order in the state.
Stating that the Meghalaya government has never compromised on tackling insurgency and restoring peace, Mukul said sophisticated arms and IEDs come to the Indian side through the porous India-Bangladesh border.
“The international border is porous and the Union minister is playing politics,” he asserted, adding that Singh was threatening the people to vote for the BJP by playing on the law and order issue.
Asked whether the BJP’s national health insurance scheme would be implemented in the state if the saffron party is not voted to power, the CM replied, “We are not beggars. Even without the Centre’s assistance we have launched a health insurance scheme of Rs 2.5 lakh in Meghalaya.” In the same breath he rubbished Singh’s claim that if the BJP was not voted to power, the Rs 5 lakh health insurance scheme, rolled out in the Union budget, would not be implemented in the state.