Shillong, March 6: The state Congress said on Friday that the MDA government is spending more only to benefit a few.
The Congress chose the occasion of the 8th anniversary of the MDA government to point out that rising capital expenditure is not creating jobs or raising incomes for ordinary families.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Manuel Badwar said the headline figure of more than Rs 6,300 crore in capital spending projected for 2025‑26 marks two very different heads: capital outlay for asset creation, and loan repayment, which has grown to something alarming over the past six to seven years.
“We give the government full credit for the scale of spending, but we do not see it reaping results for the public at large,” he said.
Badwar linked the spending pattern to unemployment at 6% across Meghalaya and 12% in urban areas.
“Enter any household and the worry today is the same — parents anxious about their children, about younger people finding work. That tells us the quality of life and incomes are not improving for as many people as possible,” he said.
He said the capital push has concentrated opportunity rather than spreading it.
Badwar cited PWD records from 2000 to 2022 showing Rs 760 crore paid for public works, of which in excess of Rs 425 crore went to a single party.
“When you create an asset, work should be spread amongst many contractors so wealth creation does not happen to only a few,” he said.
If more than half of department budgets flow to a handful of firms, he warned, unemployment will remain pronounced, and public suffering will deepen.
He rejected the argument that greater central flows automatically justify the current allocation, stressing that distribution matters.
“More money is coming from the Centre because India’s economy is growing, but in the state we don’t see the distribution of wealth or opportunities. That is a serious concern.”
Badwar also questioned health‑sector claims, where spending has doubled from Rs 1,142 crore in 2020 to about Rs 2,000 crore now.
He said health inflation runs near 14%, far above general prices for food and vegetables, so real gains are smaller than declared outlays suggest.
“This Rs 2,000 crore is at current prices, not constant prices. If a hospital bed cost Rs 25,000 in 2018 and costs around Rs 50,000 today, there’s no use telling us you’re spending Rs 2,000 crore — you’re not necessarily achieving much more.”
He wanted the government to examine where it allocates work and spread opportunities beyond a few contractors.
“Otherwise, the public at large will definitely suffer even more in the years to come. They must look at this very seriously, not just concentrate the work with very few people”, he added.
