TURA, Nov 10: Opposition leader and Songsak MLA, Mukul Sangma has hit out at the NPP led MUA 2.0 Government over what he called was extremely shoddy work in the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the state.
Speaking at election rallies in the villages of Marapara and Jarimpara for the TMC candidate for the upcoming Gambegre bypoll, Sadhiarani Sangma, the former chief minister said people were the witnesses and that those responsible for the poor implementation would be booked by law.
He assured that he himself would take up the matter and that he was in the process of completing the paper works for the same.
“The Meghalaya government has received several awards for the implementation of JJM in the state. On paper, the implementation of the scheme has been recorded as complete for many villages and the chief minister has even received awards twice in Delhi,” he said.
Stating that people from the Centre will not visit their villages for confirmation but come to conclusions based on paperwork, he said that the people were the real witnesses and urged them to complain in case there was poor implementation.
He further hit out at the MDA Government for dubbing protesters as ‘terrorists’ during the protest demanding winter capital in Tura last year. Mukul said that it was a tactic used by the NPP-led MDA government to cause fear and make people bow down to their will.
Mukul added that there used to be terrorists while he was in charge of the state as the chief minister. He said that there were no more terrorists in Garo Hills as the last of them were either wiped out or brought to book during his tenure.
“Those people who wield guns and try to kidnap or kill people, who smuggle guns and weapons from other countries and try to fight the government, these are called terrorists. Those people who try to raise issues of the community are not terrorists. We have the right to do that,” Mukul said.
Speaking on the issue of illegal betel nut smuggling into the state from Myanmar, Mukul said that the role of the government to allow the activity has brought great loss to betel nut growers from the region.
“If I sold 100 bags and there is a loss of around Rs 1,500 per bag, then my loss would be Rs 1.5 lakh in total,” he said, adding there were farmers that had whole hillocks of betel nut plantations and that their loss would be much more.
Mukul also questioned why there were no arrests or anyone held accountable for the activity continuing despite different agencies being present to check such activities.
“The illegal betel nut is being brought through the Bangladesh border. There are forces guarding the border with guns and others within. Has there been any smuggler who has been shot or arrested till date,” he asked, while alleging the government’s role in the activity.
