Shillong: Meghalaya’s Opposition party, the Voice of the People Party (VPP), on Tuesday demanded an independent inquiry into the implementation of MLAs’ schemes in the state, with party president Ardent M. Basaiawmoit calling for the probe to begin immediately.
He urged the state government to immediately set up the probe and begin examining projects sanctioned since 2008, starting with his own constituency in East Khasi Hills.
In a letter to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Basaiawmoit said he was responding to the CM’s recent remarks expressing concern over irregularities in the execution of MLA schemes, particularly in opposition-held constituencies. He said he appreciated the chief minister’s apprehensions and fully agreed that MLA schemes must be implemented transparently and used for their intended purpose.
He added that the VPP, a new political party formed by him in 2022 with four MLAs, had already issued instructions to all its legislators to ensure the transparent implementation of schemes.
Meghalaya’s MLA schemes involve significant public funds, including an annual allocation of more than Rs 2 crore under the MLA Local Area Development Scheme (LADS), in addition to the Rs 10 lakh yearly Discretionary Grant (DG) provided to each legislator for urgent welfare needs.
A CAG report had earlier flagged gaps in accountability, noting that utilisation certificates for over Rs 10 crore in DG funds remained unsubmitted over the years in the state.
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Citing these concerns, Basaiawmoit said an independent inquiry was crucial to restore public trust.
The investigation, he suggested, should begin with projects sanctioned since 2008 in Nongkrem before covering other constituencies across the state.
He expressed hope that the government would take the demand seriously in the interest of transparency and public confidence.
