‘Am not sidelined’

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, MAY 3: Congress veteran leader and former chief minister DD Lapang today denied of being “sidelined” by the Congress led state government and claimed that Ri Bhoi District too is getting fair share in term of developments.

“We (Ri Bhoi and Nongpoh) also got many things on many rounds. Why do you want to make Ri Bhoi to have this small conception of mind,” Lapang, who is also chief of Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) said on Wednesday.

He was reacting to the allegations made by the former Nongpoh Block Congress Committee (NBCC) president CB Syiem that many developmental projects meant for Nongpoh and Ri Bhoi have been diverted by the present government.

One among these include diversion of the Sericulture Training Institute sanctioned at a cost of Rs 22 crore for Pahamsyiem to Ampati, the constituency of the chief minister Mukul Sangma, last year.

CB Syiem, who is a close confidante of Lapang, along with 18 members of the NBCC decided to quit from the Congress party on ground that the government under leadership of Mukul Sangma had disregarded the sitting Nongpoh MLA.

Admitting that the project did slip off from the district, Lapang however said, “I did put in writing to Zenith Sangma, minister concerned but should I declare war on the matter.”

“Now will this encourage us to break our own family and burn the house,” he added.

On the other hand, the newly appointed adhoc president of the NBCC, Meralborn Syiem said that the allegation of schemes being snatched away from the district is just one side of the coin.

According to him, in fact the decision to divert the scheme was based on a “technical factor” due to non-feasibility of land.

With regards to the scheme from the Water Resources department, Lapang informed that the scheme has not been taken away but is still pending in the planning department for approval.

On Syiem’s resignation, Lapang, also the chief adviser to the Government of Meghalaya said, “I feel the lost. I have lost a capable worker. However I give all my blessing to him (Syiem) and his services rendered to me will not go waste.”

Recalling that Syiem had been working with him for the past 23 years, right from the time when he was just a schoolteacher, he said, “If he is facing any difficulties, he can always look up to me as a big brother.”

Asked, the veteran leader, while expressing that he welcomed Syiem decision to contest the upcoming 2018 elections against him, said, “I will meet him in the battle field as a soft man. A leader knows how to climb to the top and when to humble down to the ground.”

Claiming that the NBCC is still intact, he claimed that the Congress is gaining more popularity with the joining of supporters from other political parties adding that as many as 56 UDP workers joining the party recently.

“Many more will come to the Congress,” he said while stating that the Congress and Lapang cannot be underestimated so easily.

Meanwhile, the MPCC chief also announced the appointment of the adhoc president of the NBCC M Syiem.