SHILLONG, Aug 23: With Meghalaya and Assam having set the ball rolling for second phase of interstate border talks, Meghalaya Trinamool Congress (TMC) has blamed the state government for allegedly hampering the implementation of border area development programmes.
Opposition MLA HM Shangpliang on Tuesday alleged that due to the non-submission of the utilisation certificates by the state government to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the sanction for the implementation of border area development programmes has not been accorded by the Centre since the last two years, much to the agony of border residents.
Questioning as to why border-dwellers should suffer for the wrongdoings of the state government, Shangpliang said, “I tried my best to find out the reason and I tried to speak to the secretary in-charge, the Director but I could not get a satisfactory reply. The department tells me they have submitted all the required papers to the Government of India and at the state level, committee has already cleared all the projects by all the MLAs from various constituencies.”
“Now, though we are just six months away from the elections, the people of our area who are in the international border are complaining of not receiving any developmental schemes,” he added.
Recalling that he had raised the issue earlier during the Assembly session and the Minister in-charge Lahkmen Rymbui had assured that the matter will be taken up with the Centre and that the state will be getting funds at the earliest, Shangpliang said, “I am totally dismayed by the way the government is reacting on this whole matter.”
“Now six months have gone and not a single penny has come. I do not understand the delay and why the sanctions have not been cleared by the Government of India,” he added.
Informing that the projects have not been cleared due to non-submission of utilisation certificates by the state government, a discontented Shangpliang said, “The people should not suffer due to the negligence of the department for not submitting the necessary documents and papers. Therefore, I urge upon the government and request the chief minister to look into the matter personally on where the backlog is and why there is a delay in the implementation of the programmes.”
Stating that further delay is not something people want, the Opposition leader said, “This matter is serious. Roads, schools, bridges, community halls are all pending to be taken up for the last two years and we would like to see government coming up with immediate action so that people do not suffer anymore.”A
