Meghalaya's Minister of State for Printing and Stationery Heltone M Marak on Friday resigned from the DD Lapang government expressing "disappointment" over sanction of "disproportionate and minimal" funds in different projects in Garo Hills region of the state.
Marak, representing Songsak assembly constituency in the Garo Hills, was an United Democratic Party (UDP) nominee in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government which came to power last year in the state, where Lok Sabha polls would be held in April.
Besides holding the minister of state's portfolio, Marak was also assisting the Cabinet Minister for Power and Horticulture in the Council, which comprised 32 Cabinet ministers and 10 Ministers of State.
In his resignation letter sent to Lapang, Marak said he was "totally dissatisfied" over sanctioning of funds for different schemes in Garo Hills in the third and final quarter of 2003-04.
"Before taking this extreme step, I had written to Chief Minister DD Lapang expressing my anguish and disappointment over the disproportionate and minimal allocation of fund to Garo Hills for different projects," Marak, the first minister to step down in the 13-month old Lapang regime, said.
"I am highly disappointed over the allocation of mere Rs five crore out of Rs 203 crore budget allocation up to the third quarter," he said in a press statement.
{{/usCountry}}"I am highly disappointed over the allocation of mere Rs five crore out of Rs 203 crore budget allocation up to the third quarter," he said in a press statement.
{{/usCountry}}