Patricia Mukhim
When the Congress moved the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the NPP-led MDA Government on November 11, the Party knew full well that it was punching below its weight. For one the MDA has a comfortable majority of 41 versus the Congress’s 19 legislators. No wonder the rightful and appropriate role of the opposition in a parliamentary democracy has long agitated the minds of those involved in statecraft. The opposition is a government–in-waiting and has to view itself as such. Hence its opposition should never be outlandish. The role of the opposition is to draw attention to the failings of the government. But considering that the Congress government in its long tenure was not free from blemish the NCM becomes a blame game. More so, when a legislator supporting the MDA government made a veiled reference to the Education Scam that happened under the watch of Dr Mukul Sangma the then Chief Minister. That precisely is the problem with listing out the ills of the present government because the counter question will always be, “What did you do or not do in your time?”
Of course a meaningful opposition means putting the government on the mat on issues that simultaneously enhances the alternative way. The opposition cannot carry out a lengthy tirade without also offering a way forward. Opposition does not mean opposing everything and not seeing anything positive in what the government does. After all, MLAs whether in the ruling or opposition have been elected to govern. In a parliamentary democracy, moreover, today’s opposition is often yesterday’s or tomorrow’s government.
The MDA has a duty to give an account of the Rs 399 crore shown as Covid expenses. This is the people’s right to know. Secondly, on the Power sector there are many questions that were left unanswered by the Minister which too, the public has the right to know. They include (a) what is the total amount of dues owed by MeECL to power suppliers? (b) What is the current revenue generation per month/per year? (c) Why is the revenue generated not commensurate to the power consumed? (d) How is this proposed to be dealt with? (e) Is it possible to turn around the MeECL or is it too far gone to be rescued? (f) Is there a revival plan? Can that be shared with the public?
The other questions raised pertain to the creation of a public limited company –Meghalayan Age Limited with government officials as directors and a share capital of 5 crores and paid up capital of Rs I crore. On the internet what is mentioned is that the Company is involved in business activities. Can the CM please explain the purpose of the Company? Is it created to attract shares from the market or so that it can function independently of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC)? If the MTDC is a no-gainer and incapable of driving tourism in the State then why not offload it and save money? After all the Chairperson of the Corporation receives pay and perks from it whether it makes or does not make profit. It has been stated times without number that the Government’s business is not to do business. The MeECL is a good reminder. Yet this Government insists on walking the beaten track that is strewn with bad memories. All tourism projects run by MTDC have had to be outsourced. Does that not say something about Government being a bad businessperson? The CM’s answers are not convincing considering that of the three directors none has background in business management and has also not demonstrated what revenue model they are going to create, to drive this special purpose vehicle (SPV).
The third and most important question of course is the business of coal mining and transportation despite clear directives from the NGT that this should have been stopped in 2014 until the Government comes up with an environmentally sustainable policy. This Government is held captive by the coal barons and becomes weak in the knees when the issue of coal is raked since coal money funds elections. So the CM is mum on the coal-related questions. But coal is not the only area where revenue is leaking. Congress MLA HM Shangpliang pointed out to under-reporting of export of limestone and boulders resulting in loss of revenue of Rs 26.12 crore. Shangpliang held the Forest Department is responsible for this loss since the load is being carried with no challan or STP from the Forest Department. I will repeat the question raised by Shangpliang – “Who is legalising all illegal activities?”
Then there are the illegally operating coke plants of which only three have got operating licenses after due clearance. Eight units are set up without any permission or clearance while nine units are awaiting approval. The coke is being traded outside the country and state. The raw material for coke is coal. If coal mining is banned since 2014 where did the coal come from?
And then the other day, a Rabha gentleman from Rani near Jirang called up this writer and asked, “Why is Meghalaya selling away everything from stones to sand in the middle of the night? The person informed that there are hundreds of stone quarries around Jirang operating without any license and environmental clearance. One is left to wonder what the Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi is doing and whether she is aware of this illegal quarrying. But why Ri Bhoi, the entire East Khasi Hills is a quarry. One only has to go towards Kyrdem Khla- Laitlyngkot to see large scale quarrying. There are illegal quarries in West Khasi Hills too and the hills are coming down one by one. Someone had rightly said that at the rate at which the hills are descending and forests depleting, one day Meghalaya will become a flat plain.
The truth is that Meghalaya needs a monumental shake-up but that’s far from happening because we don’t have leaders, only politicians. The MDA came in promising change but it is replicating old loyalties in a contemporary garb. This is a club of young inheritors and by the looks of the unspeakable exchanges in the Assembly these young Turks are swollen with vanity and needless irreverence and believe that Meghalaya is their family estate. The revenue generated from the illegal trade of different commodities are all squandered like casino chips in the hands of a compulsive gambler on a monumental losing streak. The only difference here is that the gambler is using the people of Meghalaya as casino chips. It’s we the people who are losing out but we don’t seem to care. We will vote the same old tired faces next time around.
Do I sound like a broken record? Perhaps I am one; broken by the pain of seeing Meghalaya’s descent into chaos. Wonder who’s surveying the poverty levels and the state gross domestic product. And to date this coalition government does not even have a common template for aligning their vision. Where is the common minimum programme? What is the ideology of the MDA? None that we know of! So in effect this is a government of time servers. After five years even if some ruling party MLAs don’t return they can continue with their private businesses. The nerve-shattering question is – Who will be the next set of political entrepreneurs? It a long journey from desire to destination.