Tura Apr 3: Former Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma sought people’s support in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and said that as MLA and Chief Minister, he has given “visible development” to the people.

Dr Mukul of the Congress is facing former Union minister, Agatha K Sangma of the ruling NPP and Rikman G. Momin of the BJP from Tura Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to polls on April 11.

He addressed a series of meetings at Tura Bazar, Palm Dale, Matchakolgre to seek support for him in this election.

Dr Mukul spoke at length about a number of developmental works he had initiated during his tenure as Chief Minister in the past eight years.

“When I was the Chief Minister, many leaders from different civil societies, church elders, locality elders have come and approached me to address the problem of insurgency and together with all concerned citizens, we have managed to bring back normalcy and peace in the state. In order to bring the developmental works in the region, we all must obtain peace,” he said.

He said that it was not an easy task to achieve the desired objective of restoring peace in the region, but with the zeal of the people it was not a mission impossible.

“Many people have asked me when I go to New Delhi many years ago about the number of medical colleges we have in the state, and engineering colleges. I was ashamed to say ‘none’ as our state was supposedly known as the educational hub of the North East. People from the opposition starts blaming that Dr. Mukul didn’t do any developmental work or I have bankrupted the state. I have run the government for eight long years and there was no bankruptcy. I have brought engineering colleges, Capt. Williamson Sangma Technical University in Tura, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Medical College all under construction, Tura Pinemount International School and the list goes on and on. I have given the people the visible development,” he said.

Recalling his first election and became the MLA of Ampati at the age of 27, and in Assembly he had have asked many questions pertaining to the Tura road via Shillong but the road condition remained the same.

“It was a back breaking journey from Shillong to Tura. When I became the Chief Minster, the first thing I did was getting the Shillong Guwahati four-lane, and completes the project in a record time of three years, besides the Shillong-Nongstoiñ-Tura road, Dhubri-Phulbari NH-127B. There are funding agencies which promote trade and commerce like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and different other financial institutions that can finance some of the projects,” he said.

Dr Mukul said that what he could do he had done as Chief Minister of the state.

“Now I am dedicating myself to serve you as MP to raise my voice in Parliament and bring development to the region. Make me your instrument by sending me support so that become your MP and together we can transform Garo Hills for better,” he said.

Former RBI Chief General Manager, Beryl B. Sangma lambasted the NPP candidate, Agatha K Sangma stating that the Parliamentary Research Studies have recorded her attendance only 49% and did not debate or ask question in Parliament when he was the MP of Tura.

“What was she doing in New Delhi? That’s why people started calling NPP as ‘Non-Performing- Party’ and Agatha K Sangma as ‘Non-Performing Person’. She has not done anything neither she has any credibility or capacity to do anything to speak for the people in Parliament and bring developmental works for Garo Hills. She has proved herself to be incapable of holding this post of MP. Dr. Mukul Sangma has been nationally known as incumbent Chief Minister and the ‘doer.’ We need people like him to represent us in Parliament,” Beryl said.