Shillong: Meghalaya’s opposition Congress on Thursday the surrendering of Rs 5242.30 crore out of Rs 6003.39 crore total savings in 2020, speaks volume about the overall focus and priority of the National People’s Party -led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.
“The present government’s priority and focus is not on those areas which can bring the turn around in the progress and prosperity of the state in other words, the progress and prosperity of the state, the momentum at which it would have been seen has been dislocated,” Leader of Opposition, Dr. Mukul Sangma said.
The former Chief Minister was reacting to the CAG report which pointed out that the state government had surrendered Rs 5242.30 crore out of Rs 6003.39 crore total savings last year, denying utilization of savings for other developmental purposes.
“If you cannot absorb the money which has been released to you then what happens you deprive the state of that fund. If you delay by three years that means you have deprived further funds coming because the same amount which should have come the subsequent year will not come,” Sangma said.
Recalling that he had voiced his concern in the Assembly, the former Chief Minister said he had referred to certain programmes, which should have been considered as low hanging fruits or ready made resources made available to the government because of the initiatives of the preceding government.
“Since we were the authors that time we know what those programmes are. They (incumbent government) were having money, they were sitting on money, they were not spending, you see. What they say is different but what is the reality is a different thing. So all these facts and figures only substantiate what I say,” he stated.
Referring to a number of pending projects, Sangma said that the status of the medical college funded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is completely at standstill.
The veteran Congress legislator further alleged that there are serious irregularities in the utilization of funds.
“The fact that they have not been able to submit the Utilization Certificates (UCs) against those funds which they have received from different lines ministries indicates that they have not utilized the funds for the purpose and that is why they could not submit the UCs and that’s why the delay and that’s why the deprivation of the state,” Sangma said.
