Tura Mar 21: Former Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma addressed Congress workers in Tura on Thursday as part of his campaign for the Lok Sabha polls from Tura Lok Sabha seat and questioned NPP candidate and former MP of Tura, Agatha K. Sangma, if people of Garo Hills had elected her earlier to have a vacation in New Delhi.
At Tura Congress Bhavan, Sangma who is the current Leader of Opposition in Assembly and Congress candidate from Tura Lok Sabha seat also welcomed three MDCs along with their supporters to the party.
In his address, Sangma pointed out that according to one research website “PRS Legislative research†Agatha Sangma’s attendance in Parliament was only 49 per cent, the number of debates was ‘zero’ and the numbers of questions asked was also ‘zero’ and Private Member’s Bills also “zero.â€
“What was Agatha Sangma doing as an elected MP of Tura when she did not voice for the people who have given their votes to her to voice for the voiceless? Is this why people of Garo Hills elected her to have a vacation in New Delhi? People need to see facts and not believe in promises and lies,†Sangma slammed.
Sangma also said that Conrad required plenty of homework to do before he can understand about Agar plantation in private land which is a positive economic ramification.
“It was with our initiative that a legal provision for harvesting agar plant for its commercial exploitation is now available.†Sangma said while reacting to Conrad’s statement accusing him that he had introduced Agar and bamboo mission in Meghalaya during his tenure as Chief Minister without any research or creating document which was based on mapping the skills of the farmers and he (Mukul) had introduced several missions in the State which led to financial burden and without results.
“If Conrad knows how to run the state, he would not have found several missions livelihood projects we have introduced for sustainability of the common people. It shows he failed to run the state. I am very sad to see how Conrad spoiled the reputation of our government. All he does, is talk and no work! They (Sangma brothers) used to say that I have a foundation stone manufacturing factory simply because my government had worked tirelessly to start numerous projects. We laid a number of foundation stones of which, some of the projects are almost completing before the next government comes, and now they are shamelessly inaugurating the “so called foundation stone factory’s stones†laid by me and my government. They even called me singing Chief Minister for I have a passion for music, and I like to sing. Of late, Conrad himself started singing on national TV. What do you call that? A hypocrite,†Sangma slammed.
Sangma also said that he had worked as a capacity of Chief Minister of the state and launched the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme, a scheme to provide health coverage to families that exist below the poverty line, Social Assistance Programmes, including the Special Wedding Assistance Scheme for orphaned girls over the age of 18 and a programme for providing aid to single mothers and orphaned girls not to mention about livelihood mission to empower people.
He said that many more would be done if given a chance to serve as MP of Tura.
“I will give my best to live upto the expectations of the people of the region. We need change and the time is now. We have sent the MP from only one family for decades and they think it is their personal property. They have been given so many chances to prove themselves in bringing development to the region but they have failed miserably. So let us all vote for the change this time the change for better and create a new positive progressive peaceful Garo hills,†Sangma said.
Dr.Sangma also alleged that the BJP and NPP is the other side of the same coin.
“Only during elections they pretend to be fighting against each other, but in reality, they are one and NPP is still part of NDA led by BJP and they are the MDA partners in the state,†Sangma said.
