Imphal, July 02 2017: Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has expressed amazement and strong disapproval of the claim made by the BJP-led coalition Government regarding the works it purportedly executed within 100 days .
Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, many CLP members asked whether the 100 days programme was about completion or inauguration of projects started by the previous Congress Government .
MPCC vice-president and party’s spokesman Kh Joykisan remarked that the BJP-led Government has confused the public by listing many unexpected works in the 100 days programme .
Nonetheless, Congress party would support all public welfare programmes taken up by the Government.
But the incumbent Government should come out with a clear announcement that the 100 days programme was about completion of incomplete projects taken up by the previous Congress Government .
If it is otherwise, the Government should inform the public about the new works it took up .
Work order for repairing Khoyathong-Assembly road was issued in 2016 when Congress party was in power but the same work could not be completed as the election code of conduct came into force .
Black-topping was done after BJP came to power.
But BJP workers have been extolling the new Government claiming that the new Government had started road construction works, thereby confusing people .
The BJP-led coalition Government should have the courage to acknowledge the accomplishments of Congress Government and inform the public about Congress party’s faults, Joykisan said .
Reminding about BJP’s election promise that they would accomplish in 15 months what Congress party could not in 15 years, the Congress spokesman remarked that people would appreciate highly if the BJP-led Government can announce they would check floods in and around Imphal city .
An Anti-Corruption Cell has been opened.
But nothing has been done even after one MLA had written (UO note) to the Chief Secretary informing that one BJP Corporator withdrew a huge amount of money without doing any work.
Such response or rather non-response only evokes a serious question about the purpose of opening Anti-Corruption Cell .
Before the BJP was making a hullabaloo about ‘Loktak Scam’ but they are now unable to take up any action.
It only shows that BJP was only making baseless allegations .
It is praiseworthy that the Government has designated two specific days of a month as Hill People’s Day and People’s Day to seek public opinion but it is essential to take concerned MLAs into confidence while implementing any development programme, Joykisan asserted .
Democracy would lose its meaning if Govt would bulldoze its way without consulting Opposition parties, he added .
MLA Govindas Konthoujam noted that people of the State have been expecting a lot from the new Government.
If the Government takes up some new projects in line with the people’s expectations and in accordance with what they promised, it would be certainly counted as their achievement .
Claiming that Congress party was instrumental in reforming several sectors during the 15 years of its rule, Govindas cited introduction of 24×7 power supply in some areas of Imphal, construction of 400 KV power sub-stations, construction of 132/33 KV power sub-stations in remote areas and installation of many 33/11 power sub-stations .
He went on to ask if the BJP-led Government would enlist these works as their own achievement after re-painting them .
Apart from executing 10 consecutive phases of PMGSY, DPR for the 11th phase was also sent to Centre when Congress party was in power.
It was only up to 10th phase which were included in the list of Government’s achievement, said N Loken, another Congress legislator .
Black-topping of the road from Nambol to Leimapokpam was completed before the election except for a very short stretch.
The remaining stretch was completed by the BJP Government and the whole project was listed among the achievements of its 100 days programme .
He asked if the BJP-led coalition Government had prepared any new project/scheme and sent it to the Centre during the last 100 days .
Saying that there was serious incompatibility between what BJP spoke and what it did, Loken asked if any new project had been taken up by the NDA Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Manipur during the past three years, leaving aside projects/schemes already taken up by the UPA Government .
The BJP-led coalition Government is quite active now like a newly married woman.
Its real character would be known as soon as it completes one year, Loken said .
An Anti-Corruption Cell has been opened and an employee of Grade IV has been suspended for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 400 .
As the Chief Minister of the previous Congress Government was given the epithet of 10 per cent, it would be in the fitness of things to enquire how much is the percentage of the Ministers of the new Government, Loken asserted .
As for the works listed in the new Government’s 100 days programme, only their names have been changed, MLA K Meghachandra said .
While hailing the idea behind opening anti-corruption cell, Meghachandra lamented that the functions of Vigilance Department have been marginalised and neglected .
He asserted that the anti-corruption cell would not be able to monitor all departments .
MLA DD Thaisii said that it is time for the new Government to formulate policies .
Challenging that the Government would not be able to accomplish anything concrete within 100 days, Thaisii said that construction of Ukhrul-Tolloi road was already started after due sanction was given during the Congress Government .
But the new Government took up construction of the same work after announcing a package of Rs 182 crore.
It is not an original work of the BJP-led Government, Thaisii added .
MLA K Ranjit said that one 133/33 power sub-station was constructed at Elangkhangpokpi, Kakching district.
Although its construction was completed during the Congress Government, it could not be inaugurated as the election code of conduct came into force .
The same power sub-station was inaugurated after the coalition Government was set up and it was enlisted in the new Government’s achievement of 100 days, Ranjit said .
Congress MLAs who joined BJP but still sitting in Opposition bench were invited to the inaugural function but other MLAs of Kakching district were not invited.
It might have been compelled by the apprehension about the possibility of other MLAs pointing out that the power sub-station was built during the Congress Government, Ranjit said .
He then called upon the people to ponder over what the coalition Government could have achieved in 100 days.
Source: The Sangai Express
