Tura, October 25: Tura MDC Bernard N. Marak has questioned the reported use of public funds to hire helicopters for Chief Minister’s tours ahead of the upcoming council elections. He said the spending raises serious doubts about the Meghalaya Government’s priorities.
In a press statement, Marak said it was “deeply concerning” that public money was being spent on helicopter tours that “may serve as indirect election campaigning” while teachers, casual workers and employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) were still awaiting their dues. “How can the Government justify such expenditure when thousands of families are struggling to survive because their salaries, pensions and other dues remain unpaid?” he asked.
Marak said teachers were waiting for their salaries, casual workers faced continued financial uncertainty, and elderly citizens and widows were still awaiting pension benefits. He added that GHADC employees were owed around 30 months of salary arrears. He said these were not merely administrative failures but issues affecting the livelihoods, dignity and welfare of ordinary citizens.
Stating that public funds belong to the people, Marak said they were meant to improve public services, support employees and protect vulnerable families, not to fund spending that raises questions of political motive. If the helicopter tours are being paid for from the public exchequer, he said, the government must explain their purpose, cost and necessity. It must also ensure that official tours are not used to give the ruling party an indirect electoral advantage at public expense.
Marak urged the government to immediately review its expenditure on helicopter travel, disclose the amount spent, and prioritise the release of all pending salaries, pensions and other legitimate dues. “The priorities of a responsible government should be clear,” he said, calling on the government to pay teachers, clear the dues of casual workers, release pending pensions and settle the GHADC salary backlog before taking on “questionable public expenditure.” He said the government could not keep speaking of development and good governance while those serving public institutions and those depending on welfare schemes were left waiting for payments owed to them.
With the council elections approaching, Marak said people deserved transparency and accountability, and public resources must not blur the line between official duties and political campaigning. “The people need relief, not political spectacle,” he said, adding that the government must be held accountable for every rupee it spends.
