The National People’s Party (NPP) has criticised the Congress for making allegations of supposed scams and irregularities in the functioning of the Power Department.
Yesterday Rangsakona MLA Zenith Sangma listed Congress’ criticisms of the department, alleging irregularities in the smart meter scheme, rural electricity provision, Ganol hydroelectric project and waiver of electricity bills.
In a rebuttal today, NPP spokesperson Marcuise N Marak said in a press release that the Congress’ allegations were “unfounded considering all their queries were answered systematically during the [recent] Assembly session.”
Marak added that it appeared the opposition were suffering from a case of sour grapes after losing the no-confidence motion they had moved in the Assembly.
“The Congress has reached record lows of trying to find fresh issues to stay relevant in politics, without thinking of the welfare of the people of the state,” the NPP spokesperson said.
In fact, the NPP had raised some of these very same issues when the Congress was in power but “neither did they respond to our questions nor did they bring any solutions,” Marak said, calling it “hypocritical” that the Congress should raise this issue now after “worsening the situation without providing any resolution.”
The NPP refused to be drawn into a discussion on the Ganol allegations, saying that most of the Congress’ claims were “ill-informed”, though it did remind the opposition that it was a Congress-led government that instituted the project but failed to keep it on track.
“The Congress is a party which is known to have defaulted on multiple accounts when it concerns fulfilling promises made to the people,” Marak said in conclusion. “For such a party to act high-handed and talk of corruption is highly ironic. We believe that the party would do well to inform itself better and then bring issues up, rather than trying to cover up the stench of their past.”