By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 10: Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma on Saturday accused the MDA government of ‘deliberately’ strangling the Autonomous District Councils into irrelevance, citing a staggering 42-month salary backlog for GHADC employees and a lack of anti-defection laws that has turned tribal governance into a marketplace for poaching.
Mukul, speaking to newsmen here, hoped that the state government would notify the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections at the earliest, while informing them that the Trinamool Congress has already invited applications from aspiring candidates and that discussions are under way to finalise an election strategy.
Pointing out that the provisions of the Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law) are not extended to ADCs, Sangma said the party is undertaking an exercise to shortlist candidates who are aligned with the core values and true spirit of politics—serving and protecting the interests of the people.
Stating that political poaching has become more frequent and has effectively nullified the people’s mandate, he claimed that his government never attempted to topple the Executive Committee in ADCs, even when they were led by the National People’s Party (NPP).
He also questioned how ADCs can function when employees have not been paid their salaries for over 42 months.
“It reflects the priorities of those in authority,” he said, adding that the provisions of the Sixth Schedule are the only weapon available to tribal communities to protect their interests.
When asked about the idea of disallowing non-tribals from participating in the GHADC electoral process, the Opposition Leader said the matter is open for discussion. He added that if certain decisions require review, it is always beneficial to have brainstorming sessions and collective engagement.
The Opposition leader said that in view of the prevailing situation in the ADCs, it has become necessary for people to come together to restore their former glory.
Early holiday linked to paucity of funds
Meanwhile, Mukul alleged that the state government closed its offices a week prior to Christmas because it did not have sufficient funds.
It may be mentioned that the last working day of the state government last year was December 19.
While December 20 and 21 were holidays, the government went to the extent of declaring December 22 and 23 as holidays as well.
“They did not have the money, and hence they closed the offices so early,” Sangma said, while questioning who had given the government the authority to declare December 22 and 23 as holidays.
He said he had checked the state government’s bank accounts across all banks, adding that the move also deprived people of their wages.
