Political disputes in Meghalaya

In Meghalaya, political disputes have emerged regarding government recruitment and resource management. Initially, the Congress party accused the state government of creating a “two-tier system” for teachers by implementing a new hiring model under the Structured Pay Framework of the State Education Mission Authority of Meghalaya (SEMAM). This model allegedly results in new appointees receiving lower salaries and fewer allowances than regular staff.

Following these disputes, accusations expanded to include allegations of illegal coal mining and recruitment irregularities. Opposition leader Dr. Mukul Sangma claimed the government used complex legal tactics to prevent the prosecution of illegal coal mining and suggested that coal extraction figures were being inflated to mislabel new mining as old stock.

Simultaneously, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma faced claims of misleading the public regarding a recruitment stay by the Meghalaya High Court. While the government cited a recruitment scam as the reason for a stay on Lower Division Assistant (LDA) interviews, candidates argued the stay resulted from a petition by excluded applicants. The High Court has since ordered the state to produce recruitment records and clarify how merit was determined for shortlists.