Meghalaya is not exactly a privileged state that can willfully use central funds to service individual MLAs. The Meghalaya State Planning Board is an idea whose time is well past the deadline. Like the Planning Commission the State Planning Board is a white elephant whose presence has not resulted in any tangible and intangible outcomes. If anything, the Planning Board has only been used to accommodate a ruling party MLA who cannot be appointed minister. It’s that simple! So Lambor Malngiang should stop misleading the public that the Planning Board has any role at all. Planning is an executive process and the Planning Board has no role at all in planning out the roadmap for the state of Meghalaya. It does not have the wherewithal or the expertise to come up with a state plan. The MDA government should in fact revive the Meghalaya Economic Development Council and appoint experts there since this institution has a key role in crafting out the state’s economic policy. It’s a pity that the MEDC was hijacked by successive politicians to serve their vested interests. The MEDC was used as a graveyard for failed politicians and hence the objectives which were clearly laid out at the time of its creation are all but forgotten. This is where the Lok Ayukta comes in. It needs to take stock of institutions that are guzzling public money, apart from keeping a check on government spending and the propensity for wastage of scarce resources.
Congress MLA, Charles Pyngrope has correctly pointed to the need to end the VIP culture. This resonates with the citizenry who are fed up of seeing the former Chief Minister drive around with an entourage of six vehicles. What for? And at what cost to the public exchequer? Why do the elected forget their prime responsibility of serving the public? There are many such instances where public money is ill-spent if not wasted. The MDA cannot repeat the mistakes of its predecessors. The promise for “Change” must be visible and palpable.