SHILLONG, May 8: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) on Sunday said the state government was trying to fool the people all the time by making a show of resolving the power crisis in Meghalaya with “loan gimmicks”.
AITC chief whip, George B Lyngdoh said the government’s failure in understanding the problems of the power sector underlines its inexperience and tendency to play to the gallery besides discrediting the efforts of leaders of earlier governments.
“The current load-shedding needs to be solved with dedication and understanding and not by taking temporary loans and financial measures just to show the people the problems are being solved,” he said.
Lyngdoh slammed the government’s decision to take the Atma Nirbhar loan to pay the power generating companies as a gimmick. “The government trapped itself and now, it is not only unable to solve the problem of power supply but has indebted the state,” he said.
He said the National People’s Party-led government has developed the habit of blaming the previous governments for their incompetence or erroneous steps. “You got the mandate to solve the problems and not to crib about them,” he added.
‘Legalising gambling immoral’
The AITC also came down heavily on the MDA government for “overriding” a 1978 law that banned gambling and bringing in a new law by “trespassing all morality” to legalise it.
Stating that it is unbecoming of a government to do so, Lyngdoh said gambling should not have been legalised in Meghalaya where people of all faiths refrain themselves from such activities. “A responsible government would therefore always take decisions that are morally upright and also ensure that it takes on board the sentiments and aspirations of all the right-thinking people of the state,” he said.
The government had earlier said legalised gambling is meant only for visitors to the state.
The process had begun with the framing of the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021, allowing the issuance of licences to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline.
State Law and Taxation Minister, James PK Sangma had stated that Meghalaya, a popular tourist destination, intended to generate adequate revenue from legalised gambling, online betting and gaming.
Reacting to this, Lyngdoh said, “If revenue generation was a priority for the state, the illegal activities already happening should have first have been plugged in order to ensure that the legal resources go to the state treasury and not into the pockets of a few.”
He rapped the government for overlooking the loopholes in revenue collection and promoting illegalities that are causing a loss to the state. “Bringing in a gambling law in the name of revenue generation is unacceptable,” he added.
The government’s decision to legalise gambling has also not gone down well with the Shillong All Faiths Forum, which believes that the move will pave the way for “gambling dens” at different locations in the state eventually leading to the promotion of “nefarious activities” and increase in “criminality” in such areas.
The Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders’ Forum also impressed upon the CM to revoke the legislation.
