Basaiawmoit’s allegation that centre may ask state to repay loan in form of uranium mining will never happen: Meghalaya CM

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 5, 2025

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said that the scenario mentioned by Voice of the People Party (VPP) president Ardent M Basaiawmoit that the Centre may ask the State to repay the loans in the form of uranium mining is never going to happen.

Terming Basaiawmoit’s statement as wrong, Sangma said, “These kinds of hypothetical scenarios creating and confusing the people are not the right way to move forward. These things are completely wrong and there is nothing like that.”

Basaiawmoit had made the allegation while participating in the debate on the Governor’s Address.

“One, the way the finances have been worked out, I repeat the government of India is very particular in the norms that were put up and we follow the norms very strictly. Therefore, the question of us being in that position number one doesn’t arise. Two, even if the situation in whatever the wildest imagination were to happen, that situation would never happen where the government would say that,” Sangma said.

The chief minister added, “He (Basaiawmoit) is taking an example of a country like Ukraine and the US and taking that example and putting it here. That’s what the government does. That is very wrong and an immature way to look at things. Be practical as there is a practical way.”

Stating that the government is always ready to clarify on the loan aspect, Sangma said, “If they (VPP) have a problem with the loan aspect and all we can clarify. We have clarified 100 times, we will clarify again to them like I have been mentioning to everybody about the externally aided projects (EAPs) as to how we will pay them back and why we are taking so much. Again today in the budget, I have informed that 90 percent is paid by the government of India.”

“Therefore, there is no issue with loan or no issue with the aspect of debt and that scenario which he is mentioning is never going to happen,” he stated further.