SHILLONG, Nov 11: Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma on Wednesday slammed the previous Congress-led dispensation for its “failure” to complete several infrastructure development projects in the state.
Replying to the no-confidence motion in the Assembly, Sangma said several projects such as the Nongstoin Water Supply Scheme, Rymbai Water Supply Scheme and even the Tura Water Supply Scheme were left half done by the previous government after initiating the work. “It is the NPP-led MDA Government which has made additional sanctions to ensure that these projects are completed,” he said.
On model schools, he said that the previous government left the construction of the schools while the incumbent government sanctioned Rs 16 crore to ensure that the project was completed.
He further said that the situation was the same for the residential schools where an investment of Rs 28 crore has been made.
On the escalation of the project cost of the Ganol Hydro Power project, Sangma, while taking further potshots at the previous government, said that price determination of the project was Rs 116 crore initially, but the work was allotted at a cost of Rs 248 crore.
“The excavation work was done at a cost of Rs 24 crore instead of Rs 2.4 crore while de-watering was done at a cost of Rs 24.8 crore instead of Rs 1.15 crore,” Sangma said.
Stating that the unbundling of MeECL had cost the government Rs 800 crore and that the burden was now on the incumbent government, the chief minister said that road projects worth Rs 2000 crore have been sanctioned.
He further said that incumbent government has got more approvals than the previous government for projects under schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) and from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Reiterating that the budget of 2022 would be presented in the new Assembly building, Sangma said that civil work for the project would be completed very soon, adding that the government was also working on the idea of decongesting Shillong city by having all administrative offices in one area.
The chief minister also took jibe at Mawsynram legislator, HM Shangpliang without taking his name on the high infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR).
Sangma said that “some concerned officer was the mission director of National Health Mission from 2015 to 2107 and that time the IMR and MMR was the highest in the state.”
“But the officer did not do anything about the matter as he was busy preparing for the elections,” he added.
