Shillong: Opposition leader Dr. Mukul Sangma pinned the death of a three-year-old child on the state government today. The toddler died in his mother's arms as she trekked to find a motorable road. It was a preventable tragedy. Sangma argued the loss proves the current administration favors the wrong priorities and ignores basic connectivity needs.
The Trinamool Congress leader stated, "The circumstances don’t lie. The circumstance is the truth of an action." He claimed this death highlights the harsh reality of flawed policy choices. Sangma challenged the rollout of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in Meghalaya. Officials dropped the population threshold for road eligibility from 500 down to 250, but he questioned how many villages actually received help.
He argued that population counts shouldn't be the only rule. During his own term as Chief Minister, he utilized extra criteria like tourism potential, access to schools, markets, and healthcare to reach small clusters of homes. He warned that the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Programme must look beyond just motorable roads to include footbridges and other paths for isolated residents.
State coffers hold plenty of cash. The problem is focus. Sangma slammed the government for a selective approach to development, leaving remote areas behind while wasting resources. He demanded a change in how authorities pick their projects to ensure basic services reach everyone in the state.
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