LO accuses MDA govt of crippling ADCs in Meghalaya

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 9, 2024

Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma on Monday accused the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government for crippling the autonomous district councils (ADCs) in the state.

“I condemn the attitude of the government towards crippling the ADCs. The crippling of the ADCs in terms of their wherewithal towards responding to their call of duty in sync with the provision of the constitution of India is nothing but an anti people approach,” Sangma told reporters.

He also asked whose child is the ADCs if the government failed to take cognizance of the lack of resources faced by them.

The former chief minister was referring to the financial crisis faced by the three ADCs especially GHADC and JHADC.

Sangma said during his tenure, the then government had taken up a number of times on the need to support the ADCs.

“That’s why you find out how many meetings, where held, how many letters have gone from the desk of the chief minister and how many times the officers from the state have gone to Delhi to discuss this issue and made government realize their responsibility towards ADCs since we don’t have the Panchayati Raj system and based on which the special central assistance for the ADCs were agreed to then subsequent to that it is the responsibility of the state government to further follow up and get all other funds so that district council have the funds. Who is stopping them and why is anybody stopping them?”

“Whose babies are the ADCs? That means they have a malafide intention, pre determine intention to weaken the district council or to say at one point of time that ADC are failing. Are they trying to say that?” he asked.

Stating that the issue is a matter of concern, Sangma said, “We should take cognizance as people of the state who would like to protect the whole mandate of the provision of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, we must all say we should not be silent spectators. It is not only the issue of GHADC but it is an issue of all the ADCs.”