Prestone Tynsong rubbishes BJP’s claim

FROM A CORRESPONDENT
Tura, July 2: The Congress has rejected BJP’s claims that the party has a nexus with cement plants of the state in hiking the price of cement in Meghalaya.
Reacting to the news report, Cabinet Minister and senior Congress leader, Prestone Tynsong said that the pricing of cement is the job of the companies that produces it and the rates are fixed as per the market forces.
Recently, the BJP without ming the Congress alleged that the sudden rise in the price of cement produced in the state is due to the nexus between political parties and cement plants.
Tynsong said, “The government cannot interfere in the pricing of cements by the plants but it (government) can monitor the prices of essential commodities.”
Hitting out at the BJP, Tynsong said that the members of the saffron party in Meghalaya are silent on the issue of hike in prices of beef and pork but are more concerned about the rise in price of cement which has been there for the last three to four years.
He even questioned the intention of the BJP raking up the issue just before the assembly elections.
“This allegation of the BJP is just to gain a political upper hand and I won’t want to comment on it anymore since it is of no use,” Tynsong added.
It may be mentioned that the BJP last week had alleged that cement produced from Jaintia Hills became suddenly costlier by 35 percent and that cement bags earlier sold at Rs 280 were suddenly sold at Rs 400.
The BJP also alleged that the money accumulated from the hike rate of cement will be used in the 2018 assembly elections.
Meanwhile, on rumours that he is planning to leave the Congress for greener pastures, Tynsong said that there were no truths in such reports.
“I will remain a Congress member and such rumours are baseless,” he said.
Recently, there were reports that Tynsong will leave the Congress and join the tiol People’s Party.