SHILLONG: After lying low for quite some time, the state BJP has now threatened to expose some incumbent ministers who, it claims, are meddling with the affairs of the Printing and Stationery department in order to find a way to draw a veil over the illegal transportation of coal in Meghalaya.
The saffron party has introduced a new episode of its attack on the government, stating that some ministers are making desperate attempts to conceal the illegal coal transportation in state without having any legal obligation.
Stating that the High Court order, passed in favour of Salgira R Marak, Director of Printing and Stationery department, has been overlooked, the party further alleged that the ministers are going all out to ensure that Salgira R Marak is defenestrated.
BJP leader Bernard Marak has suspected that there is a plan to take over the department so as to issue “fake challans” to coal trucks as transporting the dry fuel illegally has become impossible after the whistle blown by the BJP.
With access to the department, the ministers will be able to personalise the printing of challans at their mercy and the state government will lose huge revenue.
Marak said the party has not named the ministers as of now as it wants the government to reform all the wrongdoings in the department. “We will expose the names of those ministers, if things are not reformed,” he said, while adding that they are lawmakers and they must focus on good governance.
“BJP is keeping an eye on the activities of these ministers as their desperation to manipulate the system and attempts to appoint their loyal officers into the high-ranked post without any legal proceedings can’t be allowed at any cost,” he said, adding that Salgira R Marak has been targeted by some ministers for failing to comply with their dictates.
Alleged attempts to take over the government press, the BJP leader said, “It can be assumed their intention is to print fake challans so as to continue illegal transportation of coal”.
Ministers are desperate to take control of the department as all challans required for transportation of coal are printed here, he said.
“It is the only option left to illegally legalise the transportation of coal. These ministers want to put their men in the high post so that they can have access to the printing of challans and various other documents,” he said.
On the allegation of NCP legislator Saleng A Sangma that the party is selective in raising corruption issues, Marak said his statement is a revelation of “standard ignorance”. According to BJP leader, since all central schemes are sanctioned by the BJP government at the Centre with certain objectives to the general public, it is the duty of state BJP to monitor the implementation of the schemes.
Hitting back at the NCP MLA, Marak said during his MDC days, he took the onus to supply computers to the GHADC which was sanctioned in the name of his close aide, but the computers never reached the District Council.