TURA/SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday accused the previous MUA government headed by Mukul Sangma of allotting welfare schemes to those affiliated to the Congress.
Conrad, who has launched a campaign blitz in Garo Hills where the NPP enjoys formidable support, said, “For eight long years, the Congress regime in Meghalaya was selective in ensuring welfare schemes for the people based on party affiliation. Differences during elections are understandable but after election, you cannot work for one side. We in the NPP believe in inclusiveness and take everyone on board.”
The NPP national president also dismissed the Congress’s chance of winning Tura seat and was confident that the electorate in Garo Hills would repose faith in Agatha Sangma, the party’s Lok Sabha poll candidate.
Citing the example of the 2014 parliamentary polls, Conrad said despite being in the opposition, PA Sangma was chosen from Tura and “I am confident people will once again exercise their mandate in favour of NPP”.
The senior Sangma had won the seat for the tenth time in 2014 by defeating Congress’s Daryl William Ch Momin by a margin of 39,716 votes.
The Congress was further pilloried by NPP’s state head WR Kharlukhi, who lashed out at the rival party for its BJP remark.
Reacting to Mukul’s accusation of NPP-BJP nexus, Kharlukhi said the Congress has run out of issues. “The Congress made similar accusations during the Assembly polls last year. I am of the opinion that the former chief minister and Congress candidate from Tura, Dr Mukul Sangma, should have highlighted the good things he did during his eight years in power,” he added.
Kharlukhi echoed Conrad in blaming the MUA government for introducing flagship programmes which were a total failure. “One such initiative is the State Aquaculture Mission,” he said. “Till now, Meghalaya is yet to be self-sufficient in fish production,” Kharlukhi said and added that even the Integrated Basin Development Programme about which the MUA government was so upbeat did not benefit the people of the state.
In Tura, Conrad highlighted the achievements of the coalition government in the last one year as he sought support for Agatha.
The chief minister said his government is giving due attention to areas which were neglected by the previous governments.
“South Garo Hills was one of our top priorities which is why we brought all the top government officials to camp in Baghmara in January to understand the problems faced by the people,” said the chief minister.
He revealed that several developmental works and packages connected to South Garo Hills which had been derailed and left undone were restarted by his government.
“We have engaged with the Centre to ensure that those projects were once again up and working. Some of the crucial road projects were the Tura-Dalu road, the Siju-Rongara-Ranikor road which have been given top priority by the MDA,” he added.
He announced that his government with active support of Siju-Rongara legislator Rakkam A Sangma had prior to the announcement of elections issued instructions to the banks to start their branches in the rural areas and reopen those earlier closed down.
“South Garo Hills will also be part of the telecom policy once the installation and operation of sufficient mobile towers begin,” assured the chief minister.
From Gasuapara to Sibbari border belt, Baghmara to the coal belt of Nangalbibra and the scenic tourist area of Siju and Rongara, the chief minister addressed a series of public meetings to interact with the people.
