SHILLONG, March 3: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) will seek to corner the MDA government over illegal mining and transportation of coal, allegations of rampant corruption and the unresolved interstate boundary issue during the two-week Budget session of the Meghalaya Assembly starting from Friday.
The AITC will play the role of the opposition in the 60-member House for the first time while five Congress MLAs, who were in the opposition for the last four years, will be a part of the MDA government.
The state government has so far been reluctant to comment on illegal coal mining and transportation, saying the matter is sub-judice.
The High Court of Meghalaya, taking suo motu cognisance of The Shillong Times’ reports on the illegal coal trade, had recently pulled up the state chief secretary for not submitting a report the government was directed to compile within a stipulated time.
A division bench of the court had on Wednesday observed that the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), as approved by the Supreme Court, have not been carried out in the state. The case put before a full bench is scheduled to be heard on March 7.
The AITC leaders met here Thursday evening and discussed how the issue would be raised during the session.
“This is the last budget session before the 2023 elections. This is also the last budget to be presented by the incumbent NPP-led MDA government,” Leader of Opposition, Mukul Sangma said after the meeting.
Asserting that AITC will raise a number of issues, he said, “For the last four years we have been taking up issue after issue without any result. It has always been a case of words falling on deaf ears.”
Hinting that the issue of illegal mining and transportation of coal will be on top of their agenda, Mukul said, “The biggest question is where has the 32 lakh MT of extracted coal gone? The coal has disappeared without the revenue being accrued to the state exchequer. We have tried to draw the attention of the government on this issue but it has been on denial mode,” the opposition leader said.
He said the opposition will also raise the issue of alleged irregularities and corruption in the power sector and several government departments.
On the long-pending interstate boundary issue, Mukul said, “We have to resolve this issue keeping in mind the sentiments of the people and it should be acceptable to everyone.”
A party MLA said they would focus on the issues of the SSA and other teachers during the session apart from the illegal coal mining and transportation. The teachers have not been getting their salaries regularly.
Other issues include the shifting of the Harijan Colony, implementation of the ILP and inclusion of Khasi and Garo  languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, the five suspended Congress MLAs attended their first MDA meeting on the eve of the Budget session.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the five had been invited to the MDA meeting. “I have always believed it is good to work together in a positive way, keeping the agenda of the people in mind,” he said.
“I am sure their positive spirit to work with the government will strengthen us in the House and outside,” he added.
The five MLAs will sit on the Treasury bench on Friday since they have decided to extend their support to the MDA coalition.
On facing the opposition, the chief minister said: “We always do our homework. Whatever issues the opposition would like to raise – concerning the public in general – it is our responsibility to reply with the details.”
The government would discuss any issue if it is not sub-judice, he pointed out.
The Budget session from March 4 to 17 will have 10 working days with seven days for government business and three days for private members’ business.
Governor Satya Pal Malik will deliver his address to the House on the first day of the session.
Sangma, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present the Budget estimates of the state for 2021-2022 fiscal on March 9 after replying to the debate on the Governor’s address.