UDP charges “doubled” on coal trucks: Pala alleges

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 13, 2021

Opposition Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Shillong Vincent H Pala has accused the United Democratic Party of charging the coal trucks “doubled” compared to the times when the home ministry was held by the National People’s Party.

“When NPP was holding the home ministry, the people especially from Jaintia Hills who are doing the coal business they used to pay almost 50,000 per truck but today when the UDP is holding the home portfolio, it is doubled…,”Pala told reporters on Tuesday.

He was reacting to the recent demand of the UDP to relieve the incumbent power minister James K Sangma from his current position.  

Stating that the power portfolio should not be given to the UDP, Pala said, “If the power ministry is removed from the NPP, I don’t see or expect any good result from the UDP…it (problem of power cuts) may be doubled from six hours to twelve hours.”

Asked, the Congress MP said, “How will the UDP handle the power ministry which is more complicated than the home ministry? I don’t think UDP will do better than the NPP.”

“All these parties – UDP, NPP, BJP are same, they only bluff the public. Today, the general secretary of UDP says that James Sangma should be removed, tomorrow Rymbui will say he (James) has done well, there is conflict of interest among the legislators and party workers – so I don’t think UDP will be able to decide or ease the problems of the public rather they will give more problems to the people if (portfolios) is changed,” he further added.

On the other hand, the Congress leader said that the MDA government as a whole has failed to handle situations affecting the people and the state.

“They (MDA) have failed in law and order, I have seen my friends in the business lots of them have been demanded by the underground, they failed in handling the covid you have seen how much they have spent and what is the ground reality and they have failed in power sector,” he said.

Also stating the people of the state are very upset with the MDA government, Pala said, “I came from Kynshi and everywhere, I met NPP workers, UDP workers (they all say that) the performance of the MDA is not up to the expectation and that they think they will go back to the Congress in the next election (2023).”