Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People’s Party (NPP) chief Conrad K. Sangma on Monday campaigned for Marcuise Marak, the NPP candidate for Williamnagar constituency, which goes for by-poll on April 27.
During the campaign, apart from NPP President and Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, there were also Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, Deputy Speaker of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Timothy D. Shira, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Garo Hills Autonomous Council (GHADC), Dipul Marak and a host of other party leaders and functionaries.
Conrad Sangma stressed on the fact that NPP is committed to all round development. “We have formed the government with our post-poll coalition partners and we are focused to work for all regions of the state to accelerate growth and development,” said Conrad Sangma while stating that the opposition would try to mislead the public, the NPP Communications Cell stated.
“Congress has nothing to say against us, so they will make efforts to create confusion. But let me remind you that within a short span of time after the formation of the government we were able to work to resolve some of the long pending issues concerning welfare of the State including release of salaries for the SSA teachers,” Conrad Sangma told the gathering.
“The opposition has been trying to only propagate wrong notion against NPP but the 2018 election is a testimony that we have been able to work to fulfill our commitment to the people of the State. We have a long way to move forward and this is possible if we take all sections of the society together,” he added.
Conrad Sangma also said, “In the 2018 elections, the people of Meghalaya voted for a non-Congress government in the state propelling us to power. Our government is doing everything possible to fulfill the aspirations of the people. A victory vote from Williamnagar will further strengthen the hands of development across the region.”
He addressed four public meetings in Williamnagar constituency on Monday including Nengkra, Dawa Nengkatok, Kusimkolgre and Balsrigittim and sought people’s mandate for Marcuise Marak.
The Chief Minister said that the previous government neglected interest of the State and its people. “Our engagement with Prime Minister and other Union Ministers has been fruitful. We have been able to make our issues heard,” he added.
He told the gathering that within a week of MDA government the pending salaries for SSA teachers were cleared.
The NPP President also informed that there are plenty of funds meant for the state lying with the central government because the previous Meghalaya government lacked initiative to follow up on the pending schemes.
According to the Chief Minister, some of the pending schemes were connected to development of roads in the State.
The CM also accused the opposition of running a ‘misinformation’ campaign in the run up to the Williamnagar bypolls spreading false propaganda of church attacks and beef ban.
He added, “So many things were said in the run-up to the State elections in February, this year. Attempt was made to spread fear but the people of the state saw through the opposition game plan. I am also a Christian and belong to the minority community. Do you think this Chief Minister will remain silent to any attempt aimed at disturbing the social harmony of the State?”
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who said that unlike the previous government, which was in a serious financial situation within two months of taking office, the current MDA government was on an opposite pole bringing in much needed funds within a month in office.
Deputy Speaker of Meghalaya Assembly and Resubelpara legislator Timothy D Shira also highlighted the current government’s clearance of pending bills amounting to several crores that were not cleared for ten long years with the state Public Health Engineering (PHE) department.