SHILLONG: Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) President Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit launched a scathing attack on the Meghalaya government during a public address on Thursday, accusing the administration of facilitating compromised public hearings, enabling recruitment malpractices, and failing to deliver on key infrastructure projects.
Speaking at a large public gathering after a major rally, Basaiawmoit called for the outright rejection of the recent public hearing in Elaka Sutnga concerning a proposed cement factory.
He alleged that the process was thoroughly compromised, intentionally suppressing the voices of affected residents.
Demanding an immediate halt to all public hearing proceedings and the shutdown of both coke plants and cement factories in the region, the VPP chief asserted that these industries cause daily environmental harm without delivering economic benefits to the people.
He warned that the VPP is prepared to escalate state-wide agitations if the government continues to ignore these ecological and public health concerns.
Basaiawmoit further alleged corruption within state administrative bodies, revealing that the VPP has formally petitioned the Chief Secretary to cancel the recent District Selection Committee (DSC) examination in West Jaintia Hills.
According to the party, evidence indicates that candidates who answered as few as one or two questions were illegally shortlisted for personal interviews. Characterizing the recruitment as rigged, he demanded the entire examination be scrapped to prevent unqualified candidates from displacing hardworking local youth.
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The opposition leader also criticized the state’s handling of infrastructure, particularly chronic delays in constructing the Shillong-Dawki road. He highlighted the daily hardship faced by residents in the Riwar Pynursla belt and accused the government of announcing multi-crore projects without adequate planning or execution, turning a potential growth corridor into a source of disruption for commuters.
Addressing Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s assertion that the Legislative Assembly is the proper forum for policy debate, Basaiawmoit dismissed the claim as insincere.
He noted that assembly sessions are routinely limited to just five days, with opposition speeches capped at seven to ten minutes, making meaningful debate on urgent state issues impossible.
Rebutting allegations that VPP legislators fail to speak up in the House, Basaiawmoit declared that party representatives are fully ready to engage in debate—provided they are given adequate time and not silenced by strict time constraints.
(4FrontMedia news)
