Shillong: Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma wants longer Assembly sessions in Meghalaya. He backs the Voice of the People Party, or VPP, on the need for more time to review government work. Current sessions are too short. They leave spending and departmental actions unchecked.
Sangma has served in the Assembly since 1993. He says past sessions lasted much longer. This gave members more room to debate the budget and other demands. Now, officials squeeze multiple subjects into just a few days. This prevents proper legislative oversight.
“Every single rupee drawn from the public exchequer must be subjected to scrutiny so that government programmes are properly implemented and public money is spent for the people,” Sangma said. He warned that compressed schedules let departments bypass necessary checks.
The Business Advisory Committee often faces government requests for short, four or five-day sessions. Sangma argues that extending hours after Question Hour solves nothing. It forces the opposition to move their grievances to the streets. He noted that the government actually benefits from a tough opposition. Members often flag field-level issues that ministers miss. He slammed the government for staying in denial mode. He believes protecting the state is a sacred responsibility for every elected representative.
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