Due to the failure of the NPP-led MDA government to give its report card on its five-year term, the Congress today came up with its own findings on the state of affairs in Meghalaya during the term of the present government.
Highlighting on the report, AICC media coordinator Bobbeeta Sharma today said that the MDA Government has totally failed on all fronts during its five-year rule.
Sharma recalled how in 2018 several parties like NPP and BJP in their manifestos had many issues and promises for women empowerment.
Backing her claim with a report of the fifth round of the National Family and Health survey of 2019- 20, Sharma said that only 26 per cent of children under the age of 12 months have received any vaccination. She also said that maternal mortality rate is 197 per lakh while infant mortality rate stands at 34 per 1000.
Sharma also said that 46.5 per cent of children are stunted in Meghalaya, which is a very high rate.
“So you can imagine the promises they have kept for women and children, the care that the NPP has for the women and children of Meghalaya,” she said.
“The NPP has claimed that institutional delivery in the State has gone up to 64 per cent but in reality, it shows that institutional delivery in the city is only 58 per cent which is much lower than the national average of 88.6 per cent. These are not my data. These are in the public domain. These are the National Family and Health Survey data,” Sharma said.
Making an emphasis on children and the health of the children, she stated that the future of the nation is at stake or the state is at stake. “Has anybody mentioned about them? These are some concerns which we would like to point out to the NPP government. What have they done for the women and children of Meghalaya?” Sharma asked.
She also revealed that the rate of teenage pregnancy is 7.9 per cent which is much higher than the national average of 6.8 per cent. Meghalaya also has a high rate of child marriage, which is 16.6 percent.
Reminding that NPP had announced that it will take steps to decrease the school dropout rate, Sharma said the gross enrolment ratio in Meghalaya still remains lower than other North East states.
“NPP promised in 2018 to build a higher secondary school in every block, every sub-division, but it has not yet been done. There was little progress on that front,” she alleged.
Citing NCRB data, Sharma said that crimes against women in Meghalaya have been higher than in other North East states with a similar population.
“The 2021 NCRB data shows the number of crimes committed against women in Meghalaya is 685 which is much higher than in other states of the North East,” she added.
The AICC spokesperson stated that human trafficking is a major issue in Meghalaya which the MDA government has failed to check.
“So these are the concerns that we have. The NPP-led MDA government has not given a report card. The BJP has not given a report card on the five years of their rule here. Except promises but what have they done in the last five years for women and children is not mentioned anywhere. So we would like to question them. What have you done? These are the data we have in front of you,” Sharma added.
