MDA manages to stabilise storm and turbulence: Conrad

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 12, 2019

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance has been able to “stabilise” the storm and turbulence created by the then government within one year.

At the start of his reply to the debate on the Governor’s address, Sangma narrated a short story about how a new pilot could save a plane from crashing and said, “Meghalaya is the plane which was about to crash and new pilot is the present dispensation.”

Stating that the old pension scheme was not released by the past state government from 2017, he said Rs 114 crore had to be spent by the present government to make up for what was not done in 2017.

Sangma said 80 percent of the Rs 570 crore pending power dues to be paid to the NEEPCO was during before the year 2018 adding “I am happy to inform…that the relationship that have gone bad (with NEEPCO) has now been revived.”

Slamming the then Congress-led government for its failures, the chief minister further said that the organic agar and bamboo plantation scheme was implemented since 2015 without any guidelines and document.

He added many projects too did not see the light of the day in the absence of such guidelines and policies.

Stating that there was big misconception created about the Meghalaya Livelihoods and Access to Markets Project (M-LAMP), he said the then state government for some reasons have focussed more on roads when the scheme is actually a livelihood project.

“The project was kept in cold storage for 4 years and the IFAD, which had given the state 8 years to complete the same, pointed out that the state had not achieved anything. However, after a meeting with the IFAD, it was agreed that we continue with the project,” he said.

The chief minister said that the people should know how things were and how the entire burden came on us. “However, finally the storm and turbulence has gone and now we could see a bit of sunshine with things are stabilizing,” he said.

Sangma also expressed confidence that the state will be able to have the budget session in the new Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang by 2022, when the state will be celebrating its 50 years of statehood with the construction which will soon start.

He said the Mawlai by pass which was lying pending for many years is likely to be accessible to the people of the state by May or June, this year.