SHILLONG: The Congress’s criticisms of the new government over various issues in the last few days of the Budget session in the Assembly had exposed the failures of its own past government.
The Congress legislators were vocal on several issues ranging from the need to set up the Lokayukta, scarcity of water, power, education and issues like crime against women and children.
Zenith Sangma, the party’s spokesperson, had on Saturday criticised the new government for not making efforts to institute Lokayukta.
For almost four years, there was delay in effecting the appointment of the Lokayukta as the Assembly had passed the Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill in March 2014 and later in October that year and the government approved the rules for selection and appointment of its chairperson and members.
After the governor’s address in the Assembly, the opposition through question hour, debates and motion had also raised several issues plaguing the state.
The few weeks old non-Congress government had come under flak for the varied shortcomings of the previous government.
A legislator in the MDA said that for almost 15 years, the Congress was ruling the state and the issues currently being raised by the present opposition Congress should have been addressed by that government.
However, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Cabinet colleagues did not go into mudslinging in the Assembly or outside.
The stand of the chief minister was that “a government is a government”, indicating the continuity in governance.
He also did not scrap the programmes and policies of the previous government but said those would be improvised.
Among the former ministers in the MUA-II government, the most vociferous in the Assembly were Zenith and Ampareen Lyngdoh.
Clement Marak, who was food and civil supplies minister, had also raised several issues concerning the National Food Security Act.
After every five year, the newly elected government faces criticism for the misdeeds of the previous government since it is formed in March, the fag end of the financial year.
This forces the government to convene the Assembly session immediately as the Budget session is a necessity for next financial year starting from April.
