Damas, May 18: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday accused “politically motivated” groups of spreading fake news and attempting to take credit for developmental works undertaken by the NPP-led government, while asserting that his government has consistently kept people at the core of its development agenda.
Speaking at an event in Damas, North Garo Hills, Sangma said social media was increasingly being used to spread misinformation and malign the government despite its efforts to resolve long-pending issues.
“We as a government have kept the people’s interest at the core of our development and have been working in the best interest of our people. We are putting the rights of our indigenous people at the forefront,” he said.
Without naming any political opponents, the Chief Minister alleged that certain groups were trying to gain publicity by claiming credit for infrastructure and welfare initiatives implemented by the government.
“They are taking credit for the development works that the NPP-led government is doing for the State. I don’t want to name them, but it is clearly evident as they choose social media to propagate their lies to garner publicity,” he said.
Referring to recent developments concerning the GHADC, Sangma said the government responded to public sentiment by making an ST certificate mandatory for contesting GHADC elections, describing it as a long-pending demand that previous governments had failed to address.
“There were protests on the issue in the past. This is an old demand; no previous government decided to resolve the issue, but the NPP-led Government and the NPP-led GHADC Executive Committee amended the laws to exclude non-tribals from contesting the autonomous council elections,” he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that a Delimitation Committee has been constituted, and work on preparing a separate electoral roll for the GHADC is underway.
Stressing that the government believes in dialogue rather than confrontation, Sangma said the administration had exercised restraint even during difficult situations.
“We believe in listening and talking to our people. We love the community and never want to see any bloodshed,” he added.
Highlighting the government’s development agenda, Sangma pointed to rapid infrastructure growth in roads, healthcare, and education, along with welfare initiatives targeted at farmers, women, and youth.
He also highlighted the rollout of the Family ID Card system aimed at improving welfare delivery and spoke about efforts to strengthen rural livelihoods through support for Self-Help Groups, tourism, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.
