SHILLONG, Aug 20: Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma on Saturday led an all-out attack on the NPP-led MDA government, accusing it of robbing students, entrepreneurs and teachers and disrupting the state’s development equilibrium due to incompetence and insensitivity.
“Our children are deprived of textbooks, uniforms and assistance that the government used to previously provide for learning. The MDA government has deprived our children in multiple ways. They have terminated ad-hoc teachers and did not recruit from the MTET,” Sangma said during a membership drive at Pynthorumkhrah constituency.
He also accused the government of robbing mothers, dislocating entrepreneurs and businesses, and messing up the health sector.
Talking about the health sector, the TMC leader said the MDA messed up the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme. People still have to pay a huge amount, which often becomes unaffordable, he said.
He said the students are being deprived of higher and technical education as funds meant for technical institutions have been diverted. He said the government failed to give any account needed for transparency and utilization.
“Children cannot pursue vocational education in the state, compelling parents to send their children away from Meghalaya. The medical colleges in Shillong and Tura are non-existent, thereby depriving innumerable children of our state who are seeking a degree in medicine,” Sangma lamented.
He questioned the government for not proceeding with the Shillong Medical College and Hospital despite receiving Rs 172 crore.
Furthermore, he said the JICA and the Asian Development Bank funds brought to generate opportunities for sustainable livelihood and bring in a change in the socio-economic landscape have also failed.
TMC state president Charles Pyngrope said, “Irrespective of religion, caste, creed and colour, we will bring a positive change to the life of every person in Meghalaya.”
Samborlang Diengdoh, a young entrepreneur who joined the TMC recently, said the struggle of women is unthinkable in Meghalaya.
“Meghalaya TMC focuses on the emancipation of women and this has motivated me the most to join Trinamool Congress. Also, Trinamool Congress is the only party that embodies the democratic and secular spirit of Meghalaya,” Diengdoh, who has been appointed as the party’s Pynthorumkhrah constituency convenor, claimed.
Questioning the government’s intent, he asked, “NPP has the money to promote itself outside Meghalaya but it does not have enough to pay our teachers. Where is the revenue going? Why is the MDA government not paying our teachers? Why did they have to sleep on the streets to get their rightful salary?”
To secure equal opportunities in education for the youth of the constituency, he said, “There are no colleges in the constituency and when elected, we will build one college to cater to the needs of our students from poor families.”
