SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma Monday said the state is among the few in the country that have received additional funds from the Centre for fully utilising its capital investment fund.
Meghalaya has received Rs 300 crore as bonus for fully utilising its capital investment fund in a very efficient by implementing different projects and schemes, he said here.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]"Meghalaya is one of the few states to have got the additional funds. After I urged the Government of India we have received an additional 50 per cent of the total amount sanctioned to us after we fully utilised the funds for 2022-23. We got Rs 600 crore in the beginning and another Rs 300 crore was sanctioned to us," he told reporters.
Referring to his recent Delhi visit as a "public relations" exercise, Sangma said, "After the elections and on being sworn in as chief minister for the second term I felt it appropriate that I should pay a visit and meet all the ministers and urge them to continue supporting Meghalaya like in the past five years. That is the basic discussion that we had."
The Sangma government has returned to power for the second consecutive time in the February 27 Meghalaya Assembly poll.
"Of course, there were specific issues in specific ministries which we have taken up. We got positive responses - whether it be the education department regarding CUET or the capital investment fund from the finance ministry ... As I said the trip was not related to any specific issue," he said.
Asked if the state government will appeal against the recent order passed by the Meghalaya High Court for the deployment of CISF to check illegal transportation of coal, the chief minister said the government is examining it and will take a call on this in a few days.
On the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's recent claim that the scene of the November clash at a disputed location along the inter-state border that left six people dead is located in that state, Sangma said, "We have been very clear from day one that Mukroh is not a disputed area at all. Mukroh is very much within the jurisdiction of Meghalaya and this is a stand that we have been very clear on from day one."
Five villagers of Meghalaya and a forest guard from Assam were killed in the November 22 violence after a truck laden with illegally felled timber was intercepted by the forest personnel of Assam. The clash had taken place between a joint team of Assam Police and Forest Protection Force and some villagers from Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district.
The entire conflict area falls in a disputed border location near Kheroni Forest Range and both states claim that the incident occurred in their respective territories.