Govt not citizen-centric: O Joy
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 20 2021: Veteran politician and MPCC spokesman Okram Joy has asserted that the incumbent Government led by Chief Minister N Biren is not a citizen-centric Government but a deceitful, anti-citizen Government.

Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, O Joy said that the Government has been only hoodwinking the masses by modifying old programmes/projects and it does not have any achivement of its own.

Recalling that Congress party was not given any opportunity to form the Government even though it emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats in its kitty in the State Assembly election held in 2017, Joy rued that BJP which won only 21 seats was invited to form Government after flouting all the norms and rules of Parliamentary democracy.

Pointing out that Th Shyamkumar who was elected on Congress ticket was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister, Joy questioned whether such dealing of the BJP qualifies the BJP-led Government as a citizen-centric Government.

A memorandum was submitted to Chief Minister N Biren when he and his Cabinet Ministers were felicitated at Ukhrul.

Among others, the memorandum demanded the State Government to accept Naga integration, support the Framework Agreement, roll back the creation of seven new districts and also not to deploy National Highway protection force.

But the Government has been maintaining complete silence on the memorandum and this silence is not in the interest of the people, Joy remarked.

He alleged that the ever soaring prices of essential commodities is a result of this silence of the Government.

There is a sharp contradiction between the Government's action and what it preaches.

While the Government has been preaching for conservation of paddy fields, large number of buildings are being constructed over paddy fields during the last four years and this is not in the interest of citizens, Joy said.

A woman was killed in a road accident due to absence of Traffic Police at Kwakeithel traffic point and the Government had the audacity to make all kinds of tall claims on the very next day during a Traffic Day observation, he remarked.

Dam gates should be shut during lean season in order to retain water but the river beds are now dry, and it only shows the Government's 'expertise', the veteran politician continued.

The total number of patients registered at different hospitals and health centres in 2017-18 was 57,304 but it rose to 1,77,587 in the current year, Joy said before asking if this dramatic rise in the number of patients can be counted as an achievement.

He further asked if the Government's Health for All programme was serving any purpose.

The incumbent Government is a Government of publicity and propaganda which is only good at renaming schemes and projects which were taken up by the previous Congress Government.

The Government is still unable to take up any worthwhile project/scheme for the welfare of the masses, he said.

The Government's complete silence on the issues of delimitation, Framework Agreement and the shifting/disappearance of border pillars is not in the interest of the people of Manipur, Joy added.

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