CM Sangma Says Meghalaya’s Demands Should Take Priority Over Political Credit

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: While the Meghalaya government has been pressing the Centre on a number of demands, the Union government has so far remained silent on several of the issues. Following the merger of eight United Democratic Party (UDP) MLAs with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reports have suggested that the Centre has agreed to most of Meghalaya's demands, raising questions over who should receive credit for the development.

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, however, sought to shift the focus from political credit to the outcome of the demands pursued by the state. He said the priority should be to achieve the goals rather than determine who should receive credit. He added that any progress on issues, including the demand for language recognition, should ultimately benefit the people of Meghalaya.

"I think it's wrong to think of it as credit. What is important is to achieve the goal, and everybody has a role to play in achieving the goal," Sangma said.

On the BJP increasing its tally to 10 following the joining of the eight UDP MLAs, Sangma said the expansion of political parties was a natural feature of democracy. He said the National People's Party (NPP) would focus on strengthening its own base while maintaining its political identity.

"Every political party has their desire to grow, and I think in a democracy and in politics, every party will aspire to grow. We aspire to grow in different states," he said.

Sangma reiterated that the NPP would contest elections on its own terms and maintain its identity.

On coal mining, he said Meghalaya had made progress following the Supreme Court's 2019 verdict, but mining operations must comply with the MMDR Act and scientific requirements. He said four mines were currently functional, while the viability of mining operations remained a concern.

"Scientific mining has to be done, open-cast mining has to be done, and so on and so forth. Therefore, we have four mines functional as of now," Sangma said.

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