 "VPP to review border pact with Assam if elected to power: Manifesto")
The Voice of the People, a new political party in Meghalaya would review the inter-state boundary MoU signed with Assam and will root out corruption in the state, if elected to power in the February 27 assembly election, the party manifesto said.
The Voice of People (VPP) was formed by former MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit.
The party will root out corruption and would also institute CBI inquiry into the alleged scams and excesses of the National People's Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, it said.
Releasing the party's manifesto on Monday here, Basaiawmoit said the VPP would review the interstate boundary border agreement signed with Assam last year and would pressurise the Government of India to put the state under the umbrage of special protective provisions of Article 371 of the Constitution of India.
"In order to safeguard the indigenous tribal cultures and customs, the party is committed to pursue and pressurise the Government of India for extension of the special protective provisions for the state of Meghalaya under Article 371 of the Constitution of India," the manifesto said.
The VPP is contesting 18 seats in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly.
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The manifesto said the party is also committed to regulate the influx of non-indigenous people to the state by pursuing the Centre on the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) besides a commitment to enforce strict regulations of the Meghalaya Residents, Safety and Security Act, 2016.
The VPP also promised to ensure that mining and transportation of coal and other minerals are being carried out strictly in accordance with law to prevent leakage of revenue and destruction of the environment.
The manifesto said the party said will institute an inquiry by the central bureau of investigation (CBI) against the alleged financial irregularities and scams and other excesses committed by the MDA government including the excessive and unacceptable COVID-19 expenditure, PDS rice scam, Saubhagya scam, JJM scam, Assembly's dome collapse, illegal transportation of coal, illegal coke factory, teargas against teachers and Cheristerfied Thangkhiew encounter.
Asserting the need to review the reservation policy, the VPP said that the present reservation policy of the state is not a law but it is a collection of executive orders.
Moreover, it is exclusionary in certain aspects. Situations and conditions have not remained the same as in the year 1972. "Therefore, there is a strong need to bring about a review of the reservation policy and to be made in the form of an Act," it added.
Stating that development without employment is "anti-people", the party said it is committed to create employment opportunities for the youth of the state by taking steps to develop agro-based industries, create more job opportunities in public transport system, fill all the vacant posts in the government sector, create a conducive environment for the private sector to thrive for generating more jobs for the youth and others.
The VPP also promised to provide affordable and quality health care to the people by strengthening government dispensaries, sub-health centres, PHCs, CHCs, civil hospitals, reduce maternal and child mortality rate, and complete establishment of the pending medical colleges on an urgent basis.
The party also promised to ensure law and order is maintained for ensuring economic growth and development, to repeal the Meghalaya Gaming Act, 2021 and to strengthen the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012 to address the problem of social instability for children.
The manifesto said the party is committed to promote the participation of teachers to participate in politics which the NPP-UDP led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance tried to prevent.
"Hurdles that exist in their existing service rules for participation in politics need to be removed. We need to bring back the intellectuals in the public life of the state," the manifesto said and assured the party's support for inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
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