TURA, April 8: The NPP is going all guns blazing to try and sweep the GHADC polls from South Garo hills region which consists of five crucial seats, as the chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday undertook a whirlwind tour of the district holding rallies in some of the most remote areas of Siju and Rongara showcasing the development agenda to woo the voters.
“We are seeking the goodwill of the people on the basis of our work undertaken in the last three years by our government. We have given top priority to the most neglected region in the state, south Garo Hills, and have cleared projects worth crores of rupees to ensure there is permanent change in peoples’ lives,” says the chief minister.
Conrad Sangma reiterated that good roads, hospitals and schools are the basis of progress which is why his government has given top priority to these issues in the southern region that has been derived of proper infrastructure for years’ altogether.
“The most neglected route from Tura to Baghmara, from Panda to Kanai along the international border, from Moheskola to Ranikor in South West Khasi Hills are projects well on the way to completion which in turn will boost peoples’ movement, raise the economy and provide jobs in the tourism sector,” believes the chief minister.
The chief minister has been raising the developmental projects cleared by his government in every successive election campaign. At another rally in Baghmara town on the same day, he mentioned about the provincilization of the colleges in Williamnagar and Baghmara during his late father P A Sangma’s tenure in the MPA government in 2008 and accused subsequent Congress governments, mostly headed by Mukul Sangma as chief Minister, of abandoning the colleges.
“When we took over in 2018 we undertook an inspection of these colleges and were shocked to find them in total neglect with floors and window panes broken, furniture damaged and no maintenance. We cleared a project for a new college building for Baghmara college for which work has already been initiated. We have also sanctioned Rs. 3.5 Crore for the construction of an extension building for Baghmara civil hospital and PMGSY roads sanction in Siju-Rongara worth over 100 crores,” maintains the chief minister as he crunches the numbers to the audience.
“The seriousness of our government to the development of the southern district can be best gauged from the 2019 event when we brought the entire top bureaucracy of the state to spend a day and night in Baghmara to give them a first-hand experience of the region and the issues plaguing it. This was done to bring governance closer to the people,” reminded Conrad Sangma in his address to the public of Baghmara.
The NPP is fighting a multi-cornered contest in Baghmara, also known as Wagesik constituency in the council, where it’s candidate Bartholomew D Shira is facing a sitting MDC and former NPP leader Sengnal N Sangma who was denied the party ticket.