SHILLONG, Feb 27: The ten-day budget session of the Meghalaya Assembly will begin on Friday with the opposition parties preparing to take the government head on over several key issues.
Out of the ten days, three days have been listed for private members’ business and seven days for government business. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma will present the budget on March 5.
The government is set to table some key bills including the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Bill, 2025; Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2006; Meghalaya Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Meghalaya Police Act, Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Amendment Act, and Meghalaya Registration of Birth and Death Amendment Rules.
The opposition camp is set to attack the government with loaded questions on unemployment, increasing illegal influx, revenue leakages and other pertinent issues.
“There are quite a number of pressing issues confronting the people. The overall sense of hopelessness among the job seekers, deficiency in the matter of governance which has cause serious implications on the fiscal health and progress and prosperity of state, and the lack of new opportunities will be among the key issues,” Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma told The Shillong Times on the eve of the budget session on Thursday.
“A serious issue is the huge backlog of vacancies due to retirement, promotion and untimely demise of government employees. Most of these vacancies are not filled up causing indirect deprivation to the job seekers, which is a serious concern,” he said. Stating that lack of job creation is a serious issue, he highlighted how the state government neither fills up the existing vacancies nor creates more jobs.
Driving his point home on the level of desperation amongst the youth, he cited the case of how over a hundred postgraduate candidates lined up for the post of two teachers in a private school offering Rs 8,000 per month.
“These are indications of the problems which are the offshoots of the government’s lack of concern and insensitivity. You cannot give a more glaring example to the people in authority than this,” he added.
Sangma also spoke about the issue of illegal immigration/influx and recalled that he had questioned the government on the implementation of the MRSSA.
He cited how various parts of the State including the State capital are facing the increasing problem of illegal influx.
He said the opposition to railways is due to the inability of the state government to address the problem of influx.
Shifting focus to revenue, he said, “The overall uncontrolled leakage of revenue, whether intentional, facilitated or otherwise, is due to government inefficiency. These are issues to be discussed and we will draw the attention of the government to realize their responsibility since they are in authority.”
