AITC watching MDA-govt decisions

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Feb 16: Opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma today said the party is watching every decision of the eleven months old MDA-2 government.

Sangma while refusing to comment on the performance of the present government said, “Because I have decided in as far as I am concerned to at least give them one year (time) to show their commitment level towards addressing the concerns of the people, towards addressing the concerns of everybody, towards assuming the sole responsibility of protecting the interest of the people and the state.”

“We are watching every decision of the government we are scrutinizing and based on that we will take on the government, we will responsibly perform our responsibilities as opposition and that is what we are looking forward to doing,” he told reporters.

Stating that apart from illegal coal mining, there are many issues confronting the state, the former chief minister said, “Today, I have always encouraged farming. I myself also do a lot of farming. You will be surprised to see that this year I have landed selling up my arecanut at Rs 3700 per bag. What is the reason? We are analysing and we are trying to find out. You have all the inputs, you are aware.”

He said that the farmers have collectively put all efforts to have a sustainable source of income from farming and from horticulture. He also recalled how it was difficult to convince people to shift from jhuming cultivation to sustainable farming (horticulture).

“It is the responsibility of all policy makers and everybody to ensure that you go on putting in that kind of effort with utmost sense of sincerity and commitment to increase their earnings. Why do we talk about various other interventions to help livelihoods on a sustainable basis, the idea is to increase the income and not only increase but it should be in a sustained manner. It should have this increasing graph,” Sangma said adding “However, you go to the farmers, ask them what is happening. This time even the price of the broomstick is half of the prices of the preceding year’s market.”

He said the farmers are facing multiple challenges at present.

“Today I will tell you one thing, if the farmers would not have this access to sustainable income from the farming, you would have seen more school dropouts, dislocation of livelihoods and resulting in negative fallout. Today, it is therefore important to see that anything that harms the farming community or anything that derails the sustainable income of the farmers must be taken headon by everybody,” Sangma stated.

CM highlights transparency in power department

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 19: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the Cabinet’s decision to approve a Rs 700 crore tender for implementation of the loss reduction project under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) reflects the transparency that the government power department has.

“Bringing it (tender) to the cabinet is an indication of the transparency that the department has, the minister has where he would like to share the procedure, the process followed, the steps taken in order to arrive to what we have arrived and to allot to work and to move ahead with certain aspects,” Conrad told reporters.

“You have to understand that it is a large tender, it is a Rs 700 crores tender and when a large tendering process like this happens, it’s a basic process or a kind of culture that we follow that any large decision that is there and a decision which could possibly have you know, people could misunderstand even though there is nothing to misunderstand but it has possibility,” he said while adding “So it is always a culture that we try to bring these kind of decisions to the cabinet for the sake of transparency. We are not trying to hide anything, it has been given all the details to the cabinet ministers and everything is in the open for people to see.”

Recently, the opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma has questioned the Cabinet’s decision to approve a tendering process proposed by the power department and cautioned the cabinet ministers if it can be a trap against them.

Reacting to this, Conrad said, “It’s quite funny that Dr Mukul Sangma has questioned why. That means he is questioning the transparency procedure that we are having. If we wanted to do it quietly or if there was an intention then we would have never brought it to Cabinet.”

He said every detail about how many times the retendering, how many times the extension of the tendering was done it’s mentioned out there in the cabinet note and the cabinet ministers were briefed about it about the fact that the government had written continuously a couple of times to the REC and inform them about the different kind of issues that came up in the tendering process and sought their approval to go ahead because the tendering process had been extended had been re-tendered.

“And all the necessary procedures have been followed and only after we got the approval or a green signal from REC did we go ahead with the certain aspects. Of course procedure is not complete yet but certain parts are moving forward and in that process to ensure the transparency would be maintained we decided together both AT Mondal and myself that lets us take it to the cabinet and let everybody know what it is, ask questions about it, feel free to feel comfortable about all the questions so that there is no doubt tomorrow if anybody in the press or public asks us,” the CM said.

“So I think it’s just the opposite of what he (Mukul) had reacted to that. I think the fact that has been brought to the cabinet is something that one should appreciate that transparency is being maintained,” he further added.

Mukul warns of ‘trap’ waiting for Cabinet

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sep 17: Opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma has questioned the recent Cabinet’s decision to approve a tendering process proposed by the power department and cautioned the cabinet ministers that this may be a trap against them.

He was referring to the decision of the Cabinet taken on August 25, where the work has been alloted to L1 bidder for implementation of the loss reduction project under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

“I am questioning the intent of that particular cabinet agenda. The item for the consideration and approval of the cabinet which was brought by the power department itself is reflective of the underlying fact that there are certain irregularities in the process of tender otherwise if there is no irregularity why was it necessary for the power department to bring it to the cabinet,” Mukul told reporters.

He said there are already set of rules notified by the department of finance for tendering process and there is also CVC (central vigilance commission) guidelines.

“Now if PWD is calling tender, are they coming to the Cabinet to get approval? They don’t come so why MeECL has to come? MeECL is already an unbundled entity, it is no longer a state electricity board, it is a company,” Mukul added.

Further, the former chief minister said, “You have to ask the members of the Cabinet, you are approving somebody’s process of work which might have been irregular but in five minutes they have approved it. Now as a minister how do you know they have followed (the procedures) or not. If they have followed the procedures, why do they need approval of the Cabinet?”

He also pointed out that the recent charge-sheeting by the Lokayukta against former members of the GHADC executive committee was because of a collective decision they took as an executive committee.

Mukul further alleged that the chief minister Conrad K Sangma will put all the cabinet ministers into a trap because of such decision.

“Every tendering process has to adhere to the given norms which are in sync with the various notifications including the financial rules, including the CBC guidelines. Unless there is a deviation and irregularities why will they need (to bring it to the cabinet)? MeECL is a company. Therefore, it requires unearthing of the fact. What is the underlying thing and what exactly is there that it requires the cabinet approval?” he said.

“The approval of the cabinet to regularize a process in itself is inherently irregular. If cabinet approves, then the whole cabinet will be held responsible. So indirectly the ministers, who are unnecessarily being dragged into will also be (held responsible),” the former CM added further.

Mukul denies meeting BJP leaders

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: Opposition AITC leader and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today categorically denied meeting any leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Has he (Ernest Mawrie) met me? Or has Dr Mukul met any of them? Please ask them. Okay, their politics does not probably happen without my name that is a different thing. Please ask them, don’t ask me,” Sangma told reporters.

He was reacting to the recent claim made by State BJP President Ernest Mawrie that Mukul Sangma was denied entry into the BJP by the party’s senior leaders in Delhi.

The former CM said he has seen such reports being circulated without asking him.

“I would have been happier if at least friends from the media would have given me an opportunity to comment before carrying such stories,” he said.

Meanwhile, the former chief minister said he is studying the whole political dynamic of the State before deciding their future course of action. According to him, this was necessary because of the outcome of the 2023 Assembly polls where the AITC managed to win only five seats in the 60-member House.

“Therefore, it is necessary for all of us to have an exhaustive due diligence of the overall political dynamics that have unfolded and the way it is going to be unfolded in the years to come and how we will navigate through this kind of situation, navigate for what, Navigate for ensuring that our objective which revolves around serving the people with the utmost sense of commitment and dedication and honesty and give the best that we can,” he said.

Sangma said there are reasons for people like us to feel concerned and worried because we had the privilege along with many of the leaders of the State to participate in collectively building this State.

“And if things are not going the right way and there is a need to look at all ways and means as to how to ensure that okay we do justice to the desire expectation of the people as everybody wants to have a good life, everybody wants to ensure that their children have a better life and how we can actually ensure that this kind of hope can be generated and they will see it happening. If people are feeling a little apprehensive of their future I think then there is a reason for us to really be concerned and see that we start looking how steers the State in the right way so that its future is better,” he added.

The AITC leader said that he is more concerned about creating that sense of oneness in the State of Meghalaya than joining other political parties.

“If Meghalaya can be a State where everybody has a sense of well-being, Meghalaya is vibrant, progressive and prosperous and you as a State are capable of contributing for the growth and prosperity of the nation so charity begins at home. I am more concerned about this beautiful State of Meghalaya where we need to create that sense of oneness,” he said.

Questioning the failure of political parties in Meghalaya to create this sense of oneness, Sangma said, “Has any political party been able to create this sense of oneness. I am afraid I am not seeing it. So there is a big challenge before us. So you can understand the burden on me as to what must be going on in my mind. Do you subscribe to the kind of environment that has unfolded in the preceding months? Do you want to see these kinds of similar things where everyone thinks my future is at stake? No, we don’t want to see that. Everybody should have that sense of hope where they see that the future is going to be better and when this can happen I think we are on the right path but at the moment this is not happening so we will have to make it happen.”

Meanwhile, sources in the party have indicated the possibility of Sangma floating a new political party in Meghalaya. However, the picture will only get clearer after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.