Paul terms Guv address as “cliché, myths”

SHILLONG, MAR 10: Terming the Governor’ address a “myths, cliché and a lot of contradictions,” UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh said the Congress led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA-II) coalition government has forgotten to include various issues concerning the state.

Moving for amendments to the Governor’s address motion of thanks, Lyngdoh told the assembly on Monday, “The Governor’s address contains a number of myths, cliché and a lot of contradictions.”. He said the Governor has failed to mentions the three months long agitation programme carried out by the 13 pro-Inner Line Permit (ILP) ngos which paralyzed the state.

Rubbishing the tall claims that the law and order situation in Meghalaya over the last one year has been stable and under control, Lyngdoh said, “There is no bigger myth than this.”

According to Lyngdoh last year’s ILP agitations has led to total collapse of law and order in the state besides loss of  lives and properties and disruption in functioning of government machineries.

“A number of young activities were booked under the Meghalaya Prevention Detention Act (MPDA),” Lyngdoh said.

Despite several discussions on issue of ILP with the ngos last year, Lyngdoh said that the government instead of resolving the issue came out with total different formula by offering the so called Tenancy Act which exited as it was ridiculed by the people of the state.

Stating that illegal immigration is a serious phenomenon, Lyngdoh said, “In spite of the state government’s deliberation with goodwill from the opposition, at the end of the day the government offered a medicine which is worse than the ailment.”

Lyngdoh felt precious times were wasted and the state government has not been able to come up with a concrete comprehensive solution to the problem.

The oppositions also expressed concern over the non-inclusion of the education scam which led to the termination of 246 lower primary school teachers in the Governor’s address.

UDP president Donkupar Roy said, “It will be proper for all those persons involved in the scam to be penalized as per law. If the Minister concerned is involved, he or she should be dropped or resign from the post besides action against officials involved should be taken to ensure transparency.”

Quoting the Governor’s address stating that ‘eradication of corruption will be the prime objective of my government,” Lyngdoh said, “This is the biggest joke of the millennium. This was the comment by people in a website where the particular address was published.”

Supporting the motion, Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) Nongkrem legislator Ardent M Basaiawmoit said that the Governor’s address misled the house when it mentioned that the Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill 2014 was brought in the Assembly based on extensive consultations with various stakeholders.

“This is completely misleading claims of the government,” Basaiawmoit said adding “As far as we are concern; the state government has never put this bill in public domain.”

Stating that government has also claimed that elections to the district councils passed off peacefully, Basaiawmoit however lamented that the government has failed to end the local dorbar shnongs culture of taking upon themselves to support a candidate and impose the same on others.

Basaiawmoit said, “It is high time that government should ensure that people are allowed to exercise their franchise without any pressure or force.”

He also appealed to the government to intervene by directing the Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Limited (MeECL) to reduce the tariff so that it does not affect the common man.- By Our Reporter