Summary:
Shillong, Dec 13 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the BJP government at the Centre has neglected Meghalaya and other northeastern states.
Banerjee, addressing a TMC workers’ convention here, said her party wants to assist the people of Meghalaya to ensure that the state is ruled by sons of the soil.
“The central government has totally neglected Meghalaya as well as other northestern states.
We will ensure that we bring change and the hill state prospers...
Let us walk together on path of progress; why divide people based on caste and religion?” she said.
Banerjee also promised a financial inclusion scheme under which a direct transfer of Rs 1,000 per month will be made to woman in every household of Meghalaya.
“Women in Meghalaya have suffered enough.
While the state government neglects them, we aim to empower them,” she said.
Assembly polls are due in Meghalaya early next year.
Earlier in the day, the Trinamool Congress supremo also distributed Rs 5 lakh each to next of kin of those killed in clashes along the Assam-Meghalaya border last month.
“Today, I met the families of the victims of the tragic Mukroh firing.
It was my duty to stand by them in their time of grief.
As a small act of assistance, I handed over ex gratia cheques of Rs 5 lakh to their kin,” she said.
Violence had broken out at Mukroh village near the disputed border between the two states in West Karbi Anglong district in November, after a truck allegedly laden with illegally felled timber was intercepted by forest guards from Assam Six people - five tribal villagers from Meghalaya and a forest guard from Assam - were killed in the clashes.
The TMC is now Meghalaya’s main opposition party in its 60-member assembly by virtue of the defection of 12 of the 17 Congress MLAs, including former chief minister Mukul Sangma in November last year.
However, one of the 12 resigned from the assembly and also from the party last month, reducing the TMC"s strength in the House to 11.
Besides Tripura and Assam, Meghalaya is one of the northeastern states where the TMC is trying to make inroads.