Tura MDC Bernard N Marak today asked Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to stop targetting poor families in Diringga because they had voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and not the CM at the recent Assembly election.
“You must stop the eviction of the poor families at Diringga just because they voted for the BJP in the assembly elections. John Barla, who visited the locality specifically, said to stop all evictions, but as soon as you formed the government, evictions started, load shedding started, and water crises started, which are symptoms of bad governance,” Marak said in a letter to Sangma, who is the South Tura MLA and who defeated the BJP’s Marak in the February 27 election.
The MDC claimed that even though the central government has given the state a lot of money to advance in terms of power, water, roads, and other facilities, little had changed and Meghalaya appears to be drowning in debt.
“I would like to mention here that apart from constant power cuts, there’s been no cut in the electricity bills, which have increased even in the BPL lines for the poor families. You must take note of these issues, which are affecting the poor of the whole state,” he added.
Marak also urged the CM to address the issue of water scarcity, which is of particular frustration to the people of Garo Hills. “We have pipes connected to almost all the houses but longing for water remains a far-fetched dream in Tura and rural areas,” he stated.
He claimed that although the Centre had approved funding for the Jal Jeevan Mission and other initiatives, such as the upkeep of catchment areas and the restoration of forest areas, the funds have not yet reached the Nokmas and village committees. This, he claimed, had a negative impact on the water sources through jhum cultivation and led to an excessive level of water scarcity.
“May I know whether the funds sanctioned by the Centre Government were utilised in a proper way to restore, safeguard, and maintain the forests to preserve water sources? If yes, why are rivers drying?” he asked.
Marak also cautioned that Tura Civil Hospital needs immediate attention as the new building might collapse at any moment if the wall that collapsed last week due to a landslide is not immediately repaired.
He further alleged that the funds allocated for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) went missing and did not reach the beneficiaries, and “it seems there is a big scam that needs to be taken care of by you personally.”
