WILLIAMNAGAR: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has appealed to the electorate of Williamnagar constituency to give its mandate in favour of his party promising to usher in ‘all round’ development of the constituency.
Williamnagar goes to the polls on the 27th of this month and the NPP has fielded it’s former legislator Marcuise Marak for the election.
With barely three days remaining for campaign to come to a close, the chief minister undertook a whirlwind tour of several villages, beginning Monday, holding a series of campaign meetings.
The NPP was clearly out in force with even its senior cabinet ministers from Khasi-Jaintia Hills, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong and PWD Minister S Dhar holding campaign rallies.
“In the 2018 elections the people of Meghalaya voted for a non-Congress government in the state propelling us to power. Our government is doing everything possible to fulfill the aspirations of the people. A victory vote from Williamnagar will further strengthen the hands of development across the region,” said the chief minister in his meeting at Nengkhra village of Williamnagar constituency on Monday afternoon.
Assuring speedy action into issues of the state, the chief minister recalled how within less than a month in office his government had been successful in solving the SSA teachers problem of non-payment of salaries.
“The previous government in the state neglected the dues of the teachers that were pending for many months. When we called on the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister of the country we were told that neither the chief minister nor the state finance minister had called on them to find a solution. Within a week of our government delegation meeting with the central ministers the issue was solved with over Rs 100 crores sanctioned to clear the SSA dues,” said Conrad Sangma.
He further added that dialogue was an important tool for his government and took a dig at the previous government led by Mukul Sangma terming it ‘dictatorial’.
He informed that there are plenty of funds meant for the state lying with the central government because the previous Meghalaya government lacked initiative to follow up on the pending schemes.
According to the chief minister, some of the pending schemes were connected to development of roads in the state.
The chief minister also accused the opposition of running a ‘misinformation’ campaign in the run up to the Williamnagar bypolls spreading false propaganda of church attacks and beef ban.
“So many things were said in the run up to the state elections in February, this year. Attempt was made to spread fear but the people of the state saw through the opposition game plan. I am also a Christian and belong to the minority community. Do you think this chief minister will remain silent to any attempt aimed at disturbing the social harmony of the state?” questioned Conrad Sangma.
Backing the chief minister were a host of Khasi-Jaintia Hills leaders led by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong who said that unlike the previous government which was in a serious financial situation within two months of taking office, the current MDA government was on an opposite pole bringing in much needed funds within a month in office.
Deputy Speaker of Meghalaya Assembly and Resubelpara legislator Timothy D Shira also added teeth to the party campaign highlighting the current government’s clearance of pending bills of the state Public Health Engineering (PHE) department which were left pending for ten long years.