Thank Cong for small mercies, says 3 CMs get perks not power

Only one CM in Meghalaya, other three only got the rank: Cong

PTI | February 2, 2010



Congress has expressed unhappiness over the appointment of four 'chief ministers' in Meghalaya, dubbing it as "relatively unusual", but defended the move citing political instability in the state.

At a media briefing, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi also said there was only one Chief Minister in Meghalaya and the others had been given same perks and security but not the same decision-making power.

"I agree this is relatively unusual. But it is a small state and has political instability. We hope their (those who have taken the decision) shoulders are broad enough to bear political cost, if any," he said.

The Congress-led government in Meghalaya resorted to a peculiar arrangement with the rank and status of state Congress president Friday Lyngdoh being elevated to that of chief minister even as D D Lapang continues as the CM.

With elevation of Lyngdoh's status, the ruling alliance now has three leaders, apart from Lapang, who enjoyed the status of chief minister. The others are the two leaders of the United Democratic Party -- State Planning Board chairman Donkupar Roy and Meghalaya Economic Development Council chairman J D Rymbai.

Singhvi asserted that there was only one Chief Minister in Meghalaya and there could only be one CM as per the constitution. He said only the rank of CM had been given to others for perks, emoluments and security.

"They (others given the rank of CM) do not have the jurisdiction to take decision of a chief minister. The decision-making is with the CM," he said.

Comments

 

Other News

How social media is reshaping elections

Since Brazil’s return to direct presidential elections in 1985, no candidate who finished second in the first round of polling had ever won the presidency. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, now 81, has just done it. What explains the comeback, and what changed in Brazilian politics to make it possi

Cabinet approves Dearness Allowance, Dearness Relief

The union cabinet chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from 01.07.2026 representing an increase of 3% over the existing rates of 6

Cyclone Arnab strikes Andhra as warming oceans amplify storm risks

Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts in the early hours of Wednesday as a very severe cyclonic storm, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125–135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph. Its rapid intensification has raised concerns about how warmer oceans, global warmin

Counting matters but which ones?

The first instinct of public policy is to count. Its harder task is to count what counts. We have become remarkably good at measuring the reach of the welfare state vis-à-vis beneficiaries covered, rupees transferred, houses built, connections installed and services delivered. But some of the most

Inching closer to a trade deal with America

The cooperation between India and the United States goes back quite a time. We need to relegate that era to the backburner when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited US in the times of president Dwight Eisenhower and called the American let-off of 10 million dollars in defence aid to Pakistan as a “gun w

Manch vs Musk: Forty people and a foreign billionaire

About forty people walked the roundabout on Teen Murti Marg to the gate of Chanakyapuri police station, a distance you could cover in under a minute, on Friday to protest against Elon Musk’s Starlink. The walk was called by the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch. Nobody joined them on the way, and nobody seeme

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter