"Project proposals have been submitted to the Centre as per immediate availability of land. There is no question of being indiscriminate," the chief minister told reporters last evening.
Sangma, a former Lok Sabha speaker, had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week alleging that of the Rs 551.51 crore priority projects for 2010-11 from the Non Lapsable Pool of Central Resources (NLPCR), the chief minister has proposed Rs 54 crore for the Ampati Sports Stadium, while a meager Rs 3 crore was proposed for an eco-tourism project in the Tura, the district headquarters town. The chief minister, however, said "while preparing programmes, the state government identifies various sources of funding, of which NLPCR is just one source. It is not the only source.
There are projects which are being funded from other sources." Stating that projects were being planned as per social relevance, he said, till date, the Centre has sanctioned 72 schemes valued at Rs 748.82 crore in the state, of which Rs 457.38 crore was released and Rs 335.31 crore utilized. The chief minister accused the NCP of allotting few projects to the three districts of Garo hills while it was in power in 2008-09.