SHILLONG, March 21: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday conveniently brushed aside demands from the opposition bench for an Assembly resolution to ask the Centre to take cognizance of the irregularities and corruption and investigate the same, saying that the MDA Government had faced its biggest “Agnipariksha” (trial by fire) during the Assembly elections and passed with flying colours.
Replying to a short-duration discussion on the critical remark by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that Meghalaya was the most corrupt state in the country, the CM said the 2023 polls were an acid test for his government and people’s support for the different components of the MDA is the biggest reflection of the success of the government.
He mentioned that the elections are over and people have given their verdict and time is ripe for everyone to work as a team so that the aspirations of the people are realized. “We said many things, others said many things. This is how elections are fought but people have given their mandate and showed their confidence in the MDA,” he said.
Reacting to the Union Home Minister’s comment, Sangma said lot of statements are made and traded during elections but the Prime Minister and the Home Minister coming to the state to witness the swearing-in ceremony of MDA 2.0 speaks volumes of their confidence on this government.
Singing paeans about the MDA Government’s performance in the last five years, the CM said, “Meghalaya is one of the best performing states when it comes to implementation of central government flagship programmes like the Jal Jeevan Mission and others.”
He also said that the government has set up a public service delivery commission to reduce corruption and mentioned that key projects like Phase I of Shillong IT Park, five-star hotels like Courtyard by Marriott and Vivanta Meghalaya and the Shillong International Centre for Performing Arts & Culture (SICPAC) have also been completed.
Earlier while initiating the discussion, VPP’s North Shillong MLA, Adelbert Nongrum raised the issue of corruption and highlighted the Home Minister’s allegation during electioneering.
“Charges of corruption levelled by none other than the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have brought shame to Meghalaya,” Nongrum said while asking the government to give a befitting response to both the leaders by filing a defamation case against them for damaging the reputation of the state if the charges are untrue.
TMC leader Mukul Sangma, who also took part in the discussion, said that the MDA Government needs to go through an “Agnipariksha” to exonerate itself of all charges of corruption.
Terming corruption as more crippling and dangerous than terrorism, he urged the House to adopt a resolution urging the government to indicate instances where such allegations have been made and if such allegations are there, the Union government should investigate all of them.
