Meghalaya: NPP takes loan to distribute money; BJP warns people to accept...

Ernest Mawrie, the state president of the BJP, charged the National People's Party (NPP) on Friday with borrowing more than Rs 1500 crore to use as distribution money for the FOCUS program.
He also warned the people that the program being offered to them is actually a loan that must be repaid in the future.

In an interview with reporters, Mawrie claimed that it was unclear from the recent remark made by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong where the funding for the FOCUS project execution actually came from.
However, he added that, according to sources, it had come to light that the NPP-led administration had borrowed more than Rs 1500 crore from foreign sources.

Mawrie claimed, "If they are taking a loan (to implement the FOCUS scheme), then banks will definitely catch the beneficiaries like it happened during the Congress government and they will have to repay back (the loan) with interest... Therefore, I request the people of the state to be careful because you may receive Rs 5,000 but in the future you will have to repay back the loan with interest as it is not free and it is not a grant."

The BJP state president attacked the NPP for attempting to portray the FOCUS as a "party scheme," saying, "They are misleading the people and they travel from one constituency to another by requesting for their bank accounts with a promise to deposit the sum. If they really want to serve the people, why didn't they do so in the previous two to three years? Why only now?

According to Mawrie, the state administration must be transparent about the source of the funding for the FOCUS scheme's execution.

Banteidor Lyngdoh, the agriculture minister, was quoted as saying, "The Minister had clarified that FOCUS scheme is being given to the Producer Groups (PGs), which consist of farming community, and that the plan should be implemented in rural regions."

Surprisingly, NPP employees are approaching people and requesting their bank accounts in order to disburse funds from the FOCUS initiative even in Shillong city. This demonstrates unequivocally that the NPP is implementing the plan as a party plan. But we won't stand by while they take use of government programs to deceive the populace, Mawrie added.

When questioned, the BJP president stated that Sanbor Shullai, a cabinet minister and member of the party, had objected to this misuse of government funds during a recent All-party meeting.

He added that the other coalition members agreed with the BJP's position that the NPP could not abuse a government initiative for personal advantage.

Regarding the Central Government programs, Mawrie stated that they are carried out all year long, election or not, with the intention of assisting the state's underprivileged citizens. However, he claimed that the NPP is attempting to dupe the electorate in advance of the polls.

(With inputs UNI)