GUWAHATI: Independent candidate for South Tura, Chris Kabul A Sangma says his primary agenda will be to uplift the condition of the economically backward people with the specific task of making land patta available for them.
Chris Kabul, who had resigned from UDP after the party announced its support for chief minister Conrad K Sangma in the by-poll, lashed out at the previous government for “not taking initiatives to settle the issue of land patta over the years with at least 50 per cent of the people in South Tura constituency still residing on government land.
“Tura has been the headquarters of Garo Hills since statehood and over four decades now the government has done precious little to settle the land issue.” he told The Shillong Times on Saturday.
Listing out other limitations such as clean drinking water for all localities, street lights, roads besides urban poverty, Chris Kabul said that for about 15 years now, the office of the divisional commissioner has been ineffective.
“The people of Tura are therefore deprived of proper administration. Besides, the education sector has not made much headway and whatever good work has been done so far is by the Christian missionary schools. Moreover, a sizeable chunk of the population of 51 South Tura constituency is living below poverty line,” he said.
The South Tura by-election is scheduled on August 23 with Conrad Sangma (NPP), Charlotte W. Momin (Congress), John Leslee K Sangma (Independent) and Chris Kabul in the fray.
Asked about his chances in the polls, he said “everything would depend on public mandate” but if money and muscle power come into the equation his prospects would be affected.
“I had lost in Selsella last time because Congress and NPP had used money and muscle power,” he alleged.
On the prospect of facing the chief minister, Chris Kabul evaded a direct reply and instead took a dig at him by saying that since he (Conrad) had spent most of his time abroad he was unaware of the ground realities.
“I would even say that he is immature and had won elections before because of his father, P.A. Sangma’s image,” he alleged.
Chris Kabul was also critical of the UDP leadership, which he alleged was “very poor and controlled by others”. “This is the reason why I decided to contest as an Independent,” Chris Kabul said.
On his campaigning, he said, “I have been going door to door. People love me as I am a son of the soil. I am also trying to create awareness to change people’s mindsets for their uplift. But if they are lured by money like before then things can never change.”