Shillong: The Meghalaya Trinamool Congress on Tuesday accused the NPP-led MDA regime of a massive land scam in Mawpdang involving financial discrepancies amounting to over Rs 140 crore.
The party also called for an immediate probe into the scam demanding accountability from the corrupt MDA government for the gross misuse of the state’s resources.
The accusations were made following a press conference held at the State Party Office in Lower Lachaumiere on Tuesday by TMC Legislature Party Leader Mukul Sangma, Meghalaya TMC State Vice-President James Lyngdoh, and Meghalaya TMC Students’ Union President Bansharailang Pyngrope.
“The MDA – which I will refer to as Meghalaya Deceitful Alliance – has once again engaged in the modus operandi of looting the state by purchasing around 807 acres of land in Mawkhanu village of Mawpdang. The government had the middleman purchase the land, dupe the innocent land owners and villagers at the throwaway price of Rs 45 per square foot, and then made a payment of Rs 85 per square foot to the middleman,” said Dr Sangma.
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He added, “The rates were decided by the cabinet on the 4th October 2021. The Minister-In-Charge for Urban Affairs piloted this proposal and [it was] appropriately approved by the Department of Revenue. All cabinet items are approved by the Chief Minister.”
He further added, “Therefore, the documents show that the three persons – the CM, Revenue Minister, and Urban Affairs minister – have entered into a criminal conspiracy to rob the state of such a huge amount of money – Rs 140 crores – which could have been given to the innocent land owners.”
The MTC termed that act as an “unholy nexus” between the NPP-led MDA government and the middlemen of the state.
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Sangma said that the Central government must take cognisance of the matter.
“While addressing an election rally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah went hammer and tongs alleging that the state is active in corruption. He referred to Meghalaya as the number 1 corrupt state in the country. This has defamed the name of the state and its people. Corruption is not our way of life. Our people are not that greedy. I would urge him to take immediate cognisance of this alleged corruption. Let there be an immediate investigation into this [massive land scam”, he said.
The Leader of Opposition also stated that the Meghalaya Land Scam is only an addition to the increasing instances of graft executed by the NPP-BJP government, including scams such as the Saubhagya Scam, Smart Meter Scam, and Assembly Dome Collapse Scam.
“The kind of alleged corruption of this scale cannot happen without the patronage of the people in authority…Corruption is more crippling and deadlier than terrorism. There will be no more resources left for development or to create jobs. Through terrorism, people get affected but when you rob the state and cripple its economy, you are robbing every citizen and the future generations,” said Dr Sangma.
The Meghalaya TMC leader said that as the main Opposition party and the state’s only political alternative, it was their duty to expose the corrupt, inept, and incompetent MDA government.
He also said that the government was answerable to the people for buying land at extremely inflated rates when the villagers had sold their ancestral property for half the amount.
“The land scam is reflective of what is going on in the state…We have seen how corruption has crippled various countries…I wanted to urge the people to come together and rescue the state from the hands of the people who are responsible for making us the infamous state for being number 1 in the corruption,” he said.