Voice of the People Party (VPP) legislator for North Shillong, Adelbert Nongrum, lampooned the state government for succeeding only in burying Meghalaya under an ever-increasing mountain of debt.
Speaking today during the general discussion on the budget, the opposition MLA told the house that the budget speech should highlight the key achievements of the government. However, the only real success, if one is to go by the speech made by the CM during this session, is how the government has been able to secure more and more loans and other sources of funding.
“Seriously! Is infusion of funds from the Centre and borrowing from external agencies the only key achievement of the government? What about bringing down the total outstanding liabilities of the state? What about bringing down the fiscal deficit?” he asked.
He quoted figures that show the total outstanding liabilities as on March 31 this year being 38.19 per cent of GSDP.
“Compare this figure with what the Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act prescribes, which is 28 per cent, the permissible limit of law,” Nongrum said.
He said that the Chief Minister has presented a budget this year with a fiscal deficit of 3.83 per cent and compared that figure with the Meghalaya FRBM Act, which was amended to raise the limit for fiscal deficit by 0.5 per cent, ie from 3 per cent to 3.5 per cent.
“I ask how come the lawmaker himself is breaking the Meghalaya FRBM law?” Nongrum quipped.
He also pointed out that the budget speech claimed that the last six years of Meghalaya Democratic Alliance rule has seen a sustained push to build new roads, upgrade existing ones and connect habitations.
But the VPP legislator, who once supported the MDA when he was in a different party, questioned that if this is the case, then why did MLAs, cutting across the opposition and treasury benches, raise the problems of bad roads and poor quality construction in the house yesterday.
“And whatever significant new road projects there are in the state have been a blessing coming only from the Centre,” he added.
Nongrum also said that the budget dares to claim that under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), 4.8 lakh households are now provided with piped drinking water.
“Is the budget blind and deaf to the discussions in this very house during the ongoing session, where, on at least two days, members have raised doubts about the high figures of progress in implementation of JJM and have categorically questioned where the water supply is?” he stated.
Meanwhile, Mawshynrut MLA Methodius Dkhar, of the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (an MDA member) said that the recent drop in the price of broom and betel nuts have badly affected farmer incomes, leaving them devastated and discouraged.
However, with the government aim to double farmers’ incomes, he hoped “that our people will get support and benefits that will give them self-assurance,” he said, while urging the government to develop a minimum support price system to guarantee floor prices for farm produce.
Dkhar also said that under the regional connectivity and border trade programme, there is huge potential for increasing international trade with Bangladesh, especially for people living in West Khasi Hills and East Garo Hills particularly for towns like Shallang, Nongstoin, Williamnagar and Rongjeng by constructing the important 80km road from Shallang to Maheskhola via Riangmaw, Langmar and Amarsang.
Dkhar also informed that under Mawshynrut civil sub-division there is no college for financially weaker students to continue their higher studies. He requested the government to consider the request of setting up a government college in the area.
