Shillong: Following the failure of the NPP-led MDA government to give a report card on its 5-year term, the Congress has compiled a report card, claiming that the data of the ruling dispensation tells a different story altogether.
AICC media coordinator Bobbeeta Sharma was speaking at a press meet on women issues in Meghalaya along with Mahila Congress President Joplin Shylla on Thursday.
Notably, the Congress is fielding 10 women candidates for the state assembly elections slated for February 27.
Sharma claimed in 2018, the NPP and BJP in their poll manifestos had promised women empowerment. Backing her claim with the National Family and Health survey report of 2019-20, Sharma said, “The report has exposed the healthcare delivery system in Meghalaya regarding maternal and child health, child vaccinations and other aspects.”
“Only 26% of children under the age of 12 months have received any vaccination. The maternal mortality rate is 197 per one lakh, while the infant mortality rate stands at 34 per thousand,” she added.
“The NPP claimed that institutional delivery in the state rose to 64% but in reality, it shows that institutional delivery in the city is only 58%, much lower than the national average of 88.6%. These are not my data. These are in the public domain. These are the National Family and Health Survey data,” Sharma said.
“These are some concerns that we would like to point out to the NPP government. What have they done for the women and children of Meghalaya?” questioned Sharma.
She also revealed that the rate of teenage pregnancy is 7.9%, much higher than the national average of 6.8%. Meghalaya also has a high rate of child marriage at 16.6%, she said.
The AICC media coordinator said the NPP had announced that it will take steps to decrease the school dropout rate but the gross enrolment ratio in 2019-2020 in Meghalaya still remains lower than in other NE states.
She added that home minister Lahkmen Rymbui mentioned in the state assembly that around 1/3 of the crimes committed against women are under the age of 18 years. “So he himself has admitted that there is a big lacuna in giving security to women in Meghalaya,” said Sharma.
Sharma said the 2021 NCRB data shows crimes committed against women in Meghalaya is 685, much higher than other NE states.
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“Despite Meghalaya sharing an international border, no thought has been given to control human trafficking. The NPP-led MDA government has not given a report card. The BJP has not given a report card on the five years of their rule here,” she said.
Women candidates have promised to create opportunities to make women more self-reliant, confident, and financially empowered if Congress is voted to power.
The party has proposed initiatives such as providing free healthcare to all citizens under their soon-to-be-unveiled free healthcare scheme, special entrepreneurship training programmes for women to make them financially independent, a monthly income of Rs 3,000 to all single mothers living below the poverty line, free education to every girl child in Meghalaya from kindergarten to Class XII among others.
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