MUA -II sails through trust vote with ease

SHILLONG, MAR 11: The Meghalaya United Alliance II government won the vote of confidence in the state Assembly on Monday even as chief minister Mukul Sangma confirmed that his 12-member ministry will include two deputy chief ministers.

The Assembly passed a resolution expressing confidence in the new ministry by voice vote despite technical objections raised by some members of the opposition. Lone member of the Garo National Congress (GNC) Clifford Marak and UDP member Don Kupar Roy said the wordings “confidence in the ministry” was not appropriate since barring the chief minister no other ministers had taken oath of office, which effectively meant the ministry was yet to be constituted.

However, brushing aside the opposition, protem speaker Rowell Lyngdoh put the motion to vote, where the “yeahs” drowned the “nay” voices.

Veteran Congress leaders and former chief ministers D. D. Lapang and Salseng C. Marak have been accommodated outside the ministry as chairman of the State Level Monitoring Committee and chief of the State Planning Board respectively. In addition, Lapang will also be the political adviser to the chief minister.

Sangma also confirmed that Rowell Lyngdoh and Roytre C Laloo will assist him as deputy chief ministers. The other members of Team Mukul include three women ministers, Roshan Warjri, Deborah Marak and Ampareen Lyngdoh, four ministers of the last government, including H. D. R. Lyngdoh, Prestone Tynsong, A. L. Hek and Zenith Sangma, who is the chief minister’s brother, and two new faces in Clement Marak and Sngawbha Dhar. All of them will be sworn in on Tuesday. The swearing in will be followed by the first cabinet meeting of the new government.

“We have made a history with one-fourth of the council of ministers being women… The portfolios will hopefully be distributed by tomorrow,” said Sangma.

Sangma said MUA II comprises besides the 29 Congress legislators, 12 Independents and two NCP members. “We have already held discussions with the Independents. They will definitely be getting the opportunity to serve the people. We will accommodate them as parliamentary secretaries and chairmen of different departments,” he said.

On the appointment of Lapang as chairman of the State Level Monitoring Committee, Sangma said this was done to enable the former chief minister to make meaningful contribution in the development and growth of the state.”There is a need to supervise and monitor various development programmes so that their benefits reached the targeted persons,” he said.- By Suraj Joshi & Evanjoplin Dkhar