By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 8: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Sunday raised concerns over rising government borrowings and the growing cost of living in Meghalaya, stating that ordinary citizens are bearing the burden of policy failures.
VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said that the more loans the government takes, the less money will be available for constitutionally mandated welfare programmes under Chapter IV of the Indian Constitution. He alleged that while loans may benefit those in government and contractors through corruption, the cost would ultimately have to be borne even by the poorest sections of society.
Drawing comparisons with other Northeastern states, Myrboh pointed out that according to the 2011 Census, Meghalaya has a population of around 29 lakh, while Sikkim has less than 7 lakh and Mizoram about 10 lakh. Despite the larger population, he said Meghalaya has fewer than 10 government colleges, whereas Sikkim has 10 and Mizoram has 14.
Raising the inadequate higher education infrastructure in Meghalaya, he argued that if Sikkim and Mizoram had the same population as Meghalaya, they would have approximately 40 and 42 government colleges respectively.
He further claimed that although Mizoram and Sikkim have higher per capita incomes than Meghalaya, their youth are provided education at a much lower cost compared to the youth of Meghalaya. According to him, the disparity reflects deeper structural issues in the state’s education sector.
Myrboh also described what he termed the “paradox of Meghalaya,” stating that while per capita income is low, the cost of living remains high. He said health and education expenses are major contributors to the high cost of living and questioned how ordinary people are expected to survive under such conditions.
The VPP maintained that unless corrective measures are taken to strengthen public education, improve healthcare access and ensure prudent financial management, the burden on common citizens will continue to increase.
