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Meghalaya: NPP releases poll manifesto with focus on farmers, job creation
The ruling NPP in Meghalaya has assured to continue engaging with Centre for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the 8th Schedule and implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state
The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) in Meghalaya on Friday released its poll manifesto for the February 27 assembly elections in the state, with a focus on farmers and villages and promising to create 5 lakh jobs and employment opportunities for the youth if voted back to power.
NPP president and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma released the manifesto, People’s Document – Vision 2023-28, at a meeting held at Jowai in West Jaintia Hills District. The document also includes a summary of the government’s key achievements titled as ‘Promises Delivered’, and has got a year-by-year detailed road map to realise the party’s vision.
A special focus on entrepreneurship, tourism, agro-processing and knowledge/digital sectors in both the Urban and Rural areas of the state has been laid down. Skilling of youth has been planned through creation of multi-sectoral skill parks, exposure trips and livelihood sectors.
The party has assured to continue to engage with the Government of India for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India and for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya, resolutions of which had already been passed in the Assembly.
Stating that the NPP had taken steps towards resolution of the long standing border dispute between Meghalaya and Assam, the document said the party would also continue working towards arriving at a workable agreement on the issue by engaging with all stakeholders concerned.
The party has also assured to protect the livelihoods of those engaged in the mining sector by promoting scientific and sustainable mining. It said that the government led by NPP had managed to get a favourable judgement from the Supreme Court upholding the rights of tribal people over land and minerals and that prospecting licenses were allotted to 17 applicants.
The NPP further assured to maintain peace and harmony in the state of Meghalaya by ensuring there is increased investments to modernise police infrastructure, strengthen cyber security capabilities and setting up of female police stations in all districts.
The document said that the party is also committed to fast track discussions with militant groups within the constitutional framework for workable solutions. According to the party, the groups have expressed willingness for unconditional dialogues with the Government.
Asserting the need to ensure government services to every village, the party said the vision also innovatively plans out creating 1,000 Chief Minister’s Facilitation Centres to deliver government services to every village. The NPP has further assured to connect every village with all-weather roads and RCC/Steel Bridge and said that it has chalked out a detailed village-by-village plan to connect Meghalaya through all-weather roads.
The party said it would continue its support to farmers of the state through flagship programs such as FOCUS and FOCUS+. The programs will be continued and expanded to cover all the producer households of the state irrespective of their area of residency.
The party said several existing schemes that have benefited the people would continue with more support and greater coverage and new schemes and policies would be taken up to enable Meghalaya to become one among the top 10 states in the country.
The NPP’s relation with its ruling partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been far from smooth. The BJP, which contested on 47 seats in the 2018 assembly polls and won two, last month decided to break away from the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance and to fight the polls alone on all 60 seats in the state.
The results of the election will be declared on March 2.
