Tura: In a sensational move, South Tura’s BJP candidate Bernard Marak on Wednesday claimed that the NPP as well as the CM, Conrad Sangma, were using their scheme, FOCUS, to whiten their ill-gotten wealth while asking election authorities to investigate the matter.
Bernard is a four-way fight for the South Tura seat along with AITC’s Richard Marak and UDP’s John Leslee K Sangma.
Speaking at a press conference at the Tura BJP office, Bernard accused Conrad of luring voters through the scheme without norms of the scheme being followed.
“What else will explain the fact that beneficiaries are being asked to visit the home of the CM with their IDs and without signing any forms, Rs 5000 is being transferred to their account? It’s a government scheme and the beneficiaries are supposed to apply for it from the agriculture department, not his (CM) office. This just shows that they are using money meant for the scheme to lure voters. I appeal to the authorities to investigate this,” stated Bernard.
He added that the money was the government’s and was accountable.
“FOCUS is black money that they are trying to make white. Beneficiaries in Tura were asked to submit their ID copies to the CM’s office and not the Agriculture office and they were not even asked to fill in forms. Since when have government loans been allowed to be drawn without forms being filled? Beneficiaries were not even told how to use the money. This just shows that it is being used to lure voters,” felt Marak.
“There has been lots of corruption in this government and everyone is aware of it. We have been voicing out against it and I have been targeted. There is no political will to act on any of the complaints of corruption. It has been completely ignored,” he claimed.
He pointed to the sub-standard road construction being undertaken in Garo Hills as well as in Tura.
“619 PMAY beneficiaries have been given houses under the scheme but they have been deprived by the government. Even toilets were not spared. They have siphoned off huge amounts of money which they are using to win the election,” he said.
Speaking of his own chances in the upcoming polls, Bernard said that the wave of support being received by him pointed to the fact that he would win. He also added that the BJP’s manifesto for the state would be a game-changer and would pull the people to the party.
Bernard also warned voters against being lured by land pattas that the CM was promising in Tura.
“Conrad has been promising people that like he did in Williamnagar, he will help the people with land pattas if he wins the election. This is a false claim as the land under Tura does not belong to the government and as such no pattas can be issued on 6th scheduled lands under Nokmaship. We are trying to work out a solution to this but what the CM has been promising voters is utterly false,” he asserted.
“We will win in double digits this election, at least 15. This has got to do with the work being done by our PM, Narendra Modi. People have understood that the BJP stands against corruption and they also know that it is the only party that can work on these to change the state,” said Marak.
When questioned whether the BJP would act on cases of corruption if it came to power, Bernard replied in the affirmative.
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“We want the support of the people on this as we want a corruption-free government. If we come to power we will definitely act in all these cases where money from schemes meant for the poor have been misused, diverted only for their own benefit,” he added.
Marak also informed on the 2-day visit of the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, who would hold a rally at Tura tomorrow, February 16 before going to Dalu and another constituency to help strengthen the BJP campaign the next day.
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