SHILLONG: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) recently voiced its disagreement at the decision made by the General Administration Department (GAD) to allocate the ground floor of Kolkata’s Meghalaya House to an individual entrepreneur from Shillong.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Ricky AJ Syngkon, the general secretary of the party, expressed disbelief at how the government, which should serve the interests of the people, could prioritise the interests of an individual.
The VPP’s also revealed that the recipient of the ground floor allocation, Rocky Dhar, is the younger brother of Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar. Syngkon highlighted that the government’s move warranted transparency, particularly regarding any changes made to the terms and conditions to favour the businessperson.
“We are at our wits end how the government, which is meant to serve the interest of the people through the various departments, took such a decision to promote the interest of an individual at the cost of its people,” the statement read.
The ground floor of Meghalaya House on Russell Street currently houses significant government entities, including the Tourism Information Centre under the Directorate of Tourism, the Directorate of Horticulture, and the Government State Emporium of the Meghalaya Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd.
“All these units/outlets under the various departments/corporations have been set up at this very place to promote the products and services of these various departments on commercial terms,” said Syngkon, informing that the decision to award the ground floor to Dhar by GAD came after three unsuccessful attempts.
“It appears that the present dispensation is all out to serve the interest of some individuals and not the people who voted them,” he said.
