SHILLONG, Jan 18: Former MLA and NPP’s West Shillong candidate Mohendro Rapsang has slammed his opponent Paul Lyngdoh for attacking him on issues such as the Shillong Medical College and the distribution of pressure cookers in the constituency.
Rapsang on Wednesday said he is not luring anyone with pressure cookers. He said it is upto the voters to decide who they will vote for.
He said when the pressure cookers were initially distributed, he had made it clear that an amount of Rs 1.95 crore was saved from the MLA’s funds. He said since he did not want it to be wasted, he bought 7,500 pressure cookers for each and every household in the constituency.
Stating that this is public money and it must be properly used for the public, Rapsang slammed the UDP leader for the statement that the Shillong Medical College project was shifted from the constituency to New Shillong Township.
“Who does not want a medical college? Even I want it to come up in my constituency but people don’t recall that there were hurdles like removing the centuries-old TB Hospital from its place. When the government has found a better place of 50 acres of land for the project, why should we not take that option?” Rapsang argued.
He asked Lyngdoh not to play politics on the issue of the Shillong Medical College.
“I will be there with the public on this issue of the Shillong Medical College, not only in my constituency but in any part of the state because we want it to come up at the earliest,” Rapsang said.
NPP’s West Shillong general secretary, Mike Pakyntein said Lyngdoh himself had failed miserably during his stint as a legislator.
“Making attempt to spread false allegations against our MLAs only shows his incompetency, his knees rather shaken and only resorting to mud-throwing with baseless talks, because he has nothing at hand to actually counter with,” Pakyntein said.
“His tall claims are rather hypocritical. When he was an MLA, he gave people cheap flimsy umbrellas which cost Rs 50, while showing on paper that the umbrellas cost Rs 250. Also, a water tank was bought, the market price of which was Rs 5,000, but the bill submitted to the Municipal department showed it was purchased at Rs 10,000, according to the RTI that I filed in April 2017 against him,” the NPP leader said.
“This means the price is double…and he has the audacity to even open his mouth on Rapsang’s distribution of branded pressure cookers which cost lesser than the MRP,” Pakyntein further said.
He said the rate of the pressure cookers was Rs 2,660 each but were bought at Rs 2,500. He said anyone can confirm it. He accused Lyngdoh of distributing second hand clothes and kettles in some localities in this constituency.
