TURA: Senior BJP leader and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unleashed a fusillade of criticisms against the Congress and Mukul Sangma in the chief minister’s bastion in Ampati on Friday.
Sarma, who addressed a rally at Betasing village in Ampati constituency in South West Garo Hills, used adjectives like “sloppy” and “tardy” to describe the state government’s scheme for self-help groups (SHGs).
The Assam finance minister rebuked the Congress government for its “lack of commitment to the people” that was evident from its “tardy sponsorship of the SHGs, which are “an essential feature of a working democracy”.
“In Assam, Rs 25,000 is provided to SHGs during their formation. This is enhanced to Rs 50,000 on completion of one year and every year the figure rises until it touches Rs 5 lakh at the end of the fifth year. Why has the Meghalaya government failed to provide the same when this is the standard scheme taking place in other states as well,” he said on Friday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ridiculed the ‘development mantra’ of Mukul Sangma.
Apart from the issue of SHG funding, Sarma, who heads the BJP-led alliance in northeastern India, was critical of the growing unemployment in the state.
Unemployment
“Mukul Sangma makes big claims about providing employment and since he has been the Ampati MLA for 25 years, shouldn’t one member from each family have been provided employment? But if you check the statistics you will prove him wrong,” said Sarma and demanded that the chief minister give in black and white how many people in his constituency have been given jobs during his tenure.
He accused the Congress government in the state of siphoning off crores of rupees without giving any details of its utilisation.
“The central government is releasing crores of rupees to the state for power, housing and road projects but when the time comes for an inspection, the money is gone and work is not done,” he said and urged voters to vote BJP to power and ensure the state’s development in five years that the Congress failed to do in five decades.
Dynastic politics
Targeting the chief minister for playing dynastic politics in the state, Sarma said genuine candidates have been neglected in the political scenario of the Congress.
“Mukul Sangma is the Ampati MLA and chief minister, his wife is an MLA, his brother is a minister and even contract works and supplies are being taken away by those related to him. In such a scenario genuine people are being left out,” said the Assam minister who was campaigning in Ampati for Bakul Hajong.
