SHILLONG: The National People's Party (NPP)-led government of Meghalaya was accused by the BJP on Friday of taking out a loan of Rs. 1,500 crores to fund a programme for farmers in advance of the state's upcoming assembly elections.
Ernest Mawrie, the head of the state BJP, also said that the NPP was attempting to convince its supporters that it was the party in power.
The claims from the saffron party came three days after Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma gave Rs 5,000 to each of the state's more than 53,000 farmers as part of the Focus+ programme, which gives money to farmers who are a part of a cooperative.
Attempts to get in touch with key party leaders or members of the government for remarks were unsuccessful.
In order to sway voters ahead of the polls, Mawrie said that the Conrad Sangma government had borrowed more than Rs 1,500 crore from foreign businessmen.
I want the people of the state to exercise caution because, although you might receive Rs 5,000, you will eventually need to pay back the loan with interest because it is neither free nor a grant, he said.
The BJP leader asserted, without providing any details, that if the government had borrowed money to execute the FOCUS+ programme, the debt would eventually need to be repaid by the program's recipients, as has previously occurred in the state.
The state government, according to Mawrie, should make it clear where the funding for this plan came from.
They (NPP) are misleading the people, he claimed. "To offer farmers Rs 5,000, party members are knocking on doors asking for their bank information. If they wanted to truly assist the people, why didn't they do so in the previous two to three years?" He added.
The BJP state president also stated that the NPP could not take advantage of the government programme for personal gain.
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