UDP rues dependence on doles from Centre

SHILLONG, June 10: Critical of the MDA coalition government, of which it is a major partner, the UDP has lamented the state’s dependence on funds from the central government, while making a clarion call for a change in the norm by making the state self-reliant in various spheres including production and development.
“We are a small state, not an income generating state. And all the while from before, we have been living under the doles of the Government of India. Is it now time that we need to think of how to be self-reliant in various spheres of activity. This is where the leaders of Meghalaya need to think from that point of view,” said UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh on Saturday.
Pointing out that the state has always had the resources and the means, he questioned judicious use of such resources.
Maintaining that the state has not been able to meet the growing demands, Mawthoh said, “When we talk about production, whether in terms of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, aquaculture, there is always a shortfall. Whether meat, egg, vegetable or other food items, there always appears to be a shortfall and we have been importing all this time from other states”.
“If we talk about vegetables, may be six months (it is produced) from the state and another six months it is imported,” he added.
He thus suggested that the the state should increase its productivity.
Stating that initiatives have to begin at some point, he recalled that the government had earlier too taken up different interventions but “we have been unable to really look at it from the point of view of the growing demand in the state”.
Acknowledging that private initiatives are also prevalent, he said, “I am not saying that we have not tried, but more incentives also need to be given to entrepreneurs to promote entrepreneurial spirit so that we can think of diversification of economic activities rather than just confining ourselves to government jobs”.
He cited, “We are a meat-eating state but we have not been able to meet the growing demands of the consumers. This is where we need to think properly”.
He suggested, “Entrepreneurial spirit has to be injected into the minds of people, especially the young. There is potential but we need to tap those areas where we can grow productively”.
“The moment we start expanding in all directions, investing in other spheres of economic activities, we will be able to address the issues of shortfall whether it is meat, fish, vegetable or other food items in the state,” he added.