Congress national spokesperson Dr. Shama Mohamad today lashed out at the NPP-led MDA government for looting the State during the last five years of its rule.
Speaking to media persons here today, Dr. Mohamad said that the MDA government was involved in the ‘Grand Meghalaya Loot’.
“As everyone knows there has been a Grand Meghalaya Loot! The loot of the resources of the people of Meghalaya include the Assembly Dome Collapse Scam, Rs 816 crore Covid Scam, Rs 500 crore MUDA Scam, Rs 650 crore Illegal Coal Scam, Rs 149 crore Saubhagya Scam, Rice Scam, Excise/Bond Cartelisation Scam, Casino Scam, Friends and Family Government Contracts Scam and Police Purchase Scam,” she said.
“While the NPP-led MDA government was busy looting the people’s resources, Meghalaya witnessed an unprecedented plight of its teachers who had to protest to get their salaries on time. The NPP-BJP government was silent on many pertinent issues that directly affected the protection of the unique identity and ethnic rights of the people of Meghalaya,” Dr. Mohamad added.
She also stated that in Meghalaya teachers were made to almost beg for their salaries and had to take to the streets and send postcards to the Prime Minister of India in a desperate bid to draw attention to their plight.
“The MDA government is so insensitive that they fail to pay teachers salaries regularly. What will happen to the future generations of Meghalaya if people who teach them are not respected and provided with their basic salary?” Dr. Mohamad said.
Stating that Meghalaya has the tag of ‘worst performing’ State in the field of education according to the Performance Grading Index 2021, Dr. Mohamad said the weakness in Meghalaya’s education system has been exposed every time teachers took to the streets demanding either a pending salary or regularisation of job.
She also said that it was Congress which had taken the initiative of doubling the salaries of teachers during its term in office.
“Congress party is committed that there will be no more delay in salaries. Our teachers don’t have to resort to protests for their legitimate demands,” she added.
Dr. Mohamad also attacked the BJP for its alleged communal agenda.
“The BJP’s demand for a Uniform Civil Code throughout the country shows its majoritarian mindset and poses a threat to the unique cultural identity of the tribes of Meghalaya and other North Eastern states. What protection and guarantee will BJP give to Meghalaya and other Christian states of North East on the increasing attacks on churches in various parts of India and that was also witnessed in Meghalaya and Assam recently? Innocents are lynched on allegations of eating beef and transporting cattle which has become common in our country since the BJP came to power. What is the stand of BJP on these matters when it comes to Meghalaya? They are seen to have two different stands when they are in Meghalaya and other Christian states like Mizoram and Nagaland than when they are in the rest of the country,” she said.
Highlighting that the Congress has always believed in the freedom of press and the right to information, Dr. Mohamad promised that when it comes to power Congress will give pension and other benefits for all accredited journalists, who have attained pensionable-age.
