By H H Mohrmen
It has only been a few months since the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance Government celebrated (albeit in a subtle manner) its one year in office. However, it has only succeeded in making the people of the state more confused. The government has not been able to in still confidence or hope to people that some change is happening in the state. The Chief Minister too, through his statements is sending out mixed signals. It looks like the driver of the state in not in control of the government and neither is he in control of his own party in the state.
More than a year has lapsed, but the Government has not made any achievement worth mentioning. In fact the government does not seem to have any vision as to where it wants to take the state. In spite of the fact that the state by virtue of being led by the NPP which is a close ally of the BJP has no dearth of funds coming to its kitty, yet there are no visible signs of development happening in the state. The Government has not only failed to bring development and change to the state, but sadly it was even taken to task by important institutions in the country for failing in its duty.
On several occasions the State Government was reprimanded from all direction by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court on matters pertaining to mining. Both the NGT and top court came down heavily against illegal transportation of coal from the state and other coal related activities where the Chief Minister’s response was not convincing. With regards to illegal transportation of coal, the Chief Minister claimed that the Government did not have the required manpower to check the illegal activity. But the fact is that there are only two main routes through which the consignment can be transported. Hence the CM’s argument does not hold water because people who frequent these highways always see policemen diligently performing their duties even if they have to stand the whole night on the highway.
For example, if one travels from Khliehriat to Guwahati the trucks first have to pass through the Khliehriat Police Station then the Lad Rymbai police out post and immediately after Riat Tuber there is another police check point followed by another check point at Phramer along the highway which is less than 30 kilometres until one reaches the Jowai bypass. After the Jowai bypass, there is a check point at Umwasoo near Puriang, which is not a regular police check point, but one can see a regular check point on the Shillong bypass just after the junction in Mawryngkneng which is understandably manned by the police beginning from Mawryngkneng. Then a little further down near the junction to Shillong via Tynring just before reaching the toll gate. After the toll gate there is another police check point and then the final police check point on the Shillong bypass is the one after the Bhoirymbong junction. On the Shillong- Guwahati road there is another check point near Umiam at the junction to UCC road. So just on this small stretch of road there are already so many check points; how come the trucks can still illegally transport coal to Guwahati?
Coal is also transported on the other side of the highway on the Khliehriat- Silchar road where there are lines of police checkpoints too beginning from Khliehriat, to Mynkre, Lumchnong dacoity camp, then Umkiang and Ratacherra. Yet trucks are able to pass through hassle-free until they reach Assam. These are check points that one can see no matter what time one travels on the highway. The question then is how can the Chief Minister say that the Government does not have the required man power to check the illegal transportation of coal from the state? And if these check points are not for checking trucks plying on this section of the highway, then what are they doing? Or are they stationed on the highway to count the number of trucks or doing traffic enumeration?
In the Letters to the Editor section of the Shillong Times, recently the Police denied that there was illegal transportation of coal and even denies the allegations made by the pressure group from Ri Bhoi district which also filed a FIR against the trucks that are engaged in the act. Now the truth is that everyone who travels on this section of the highway sees the trucks parked by the side of the highway till the check point after the Bhoirymbong junction. How can the police deny that illegal transportation of coal is happening when there are so many reports of coal- laden trucks overturning on the same highway? Does this not confirm the illegal business happening right in front of the Police? What will the Police say when trucks carrying coal are caught red-handed? Why are the Police trying to deny this fact when everyone knows and has seen how coal laden trucks are parked all along the Shillong bypass? But the most important question is: Who is the police trying to protect?
Illegal transportation is happening and the modus operandi was stated in the recent letter to the editor by Toki Blah. So obviously this is happening with the knowledge of the Government. Hence the present Government, particularly the home department cannot feign ignorance of what is happening on the highway. The question that people are asking is who is benefiting from the illegal act? When the trucks illegally transport coal, even the government is losing out on revenue which should go to the state treasury. So is that revenue diverted to the NPP’s kitty and is that is how the Party funds its organisation and campaign in the entire north east? The more important question is whether the MDA alliance will last beyond the general election? Will UDP continue to support the MDA after the results are declared after May 23? Then the NPP as a party also has its own internal problems which came to light during the elections.
The allegation that in the MP elections some of the MLAs from the NPP openly supported the Congress candidate rather than the MDA common candidate is an open secret now. The allegation is that not only the MLAs but even MDCs and other party functionaries were surreptitiously supporting the Congress candidate, but the Chief Minister in his statement to the press denied the allegation. Anyway, the truth will come to light in a few weeks time. If the MDA and the NPP candidates fail to do well in the election, it is because of this back-stabbing. The other reason is also because of NPP’s stand vis-a-vis its relationship with the BJP which is not clear. People are confused about the NPP’s stand on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). The CM’s statement that the Government will oppose the Bill is ambiguous since the NPP is still part of the NDA which is led by the BJP. People are asking how the NPP can oppose CAB when the BJP is firm on its stand to pass the Bill. This was even mentioned in the BJP’s election manifesto.
The other problem with this Government is that the CM is spending more time outside the state organising and campaigning for his Party and leaving the Government to his subordinates. So in reality his hands are not on the wheels all the time. Of course as the national president of the Party, it is his duty to expand the influence of the so-called ‘national’ party, but he is doing this at the cost of the state of Meghalaya. It is understood that the goal is to expand the reach of the NPP at least in the north eastern region, but this could be biting more than it can chew. It could also be a case that the party is reaching out to the other areas and neglecting the State which has given it power.
Hence all these realities are enough to tell us that all is not well with governance in Meghalaya.