By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Main Secretariat continues to wear a deserted look even on the second working day of the year with many of the Government employees having extended their holiday.
But employees are not the only ones who played truant. Most of the minister’s were not present in their chamber on Tuesday. Many of them are on vacation. An important minister is holidaying in Malaysia and bureaucrats too are visiting the South East Asian locales which are sunnier than Meghalaya and certainly more enjoyable.
Only Power Minister AT Mondal and Social Welfare Minister JA Lyngdoh were present in their respective chambers.
From amongst the MLAs, only former Chief Minister JD Rymbai and HSPDP supremo Hoping Stone Lyngdoh attended office.
The situation was worse on Monday, the first working day of the New Year as the attendance of government employees was very thin.
Normally, the Secretariat would be filled with the peons sitting in the corridor. But the corridor too was totally empty on Monday.
Ministers who were found in their chambers on Monday included Deputy Chief Minister Bindo M Lanong, Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, Power Minister, AT Mondal and Social Welfare Minister, JA Lyngdoh.
Besides the Ministers, only former Chief Minister DD Lapang and Mr HS Lyngdoh attended their offices on Monday.
Senior Government officials, however were quick to rise in defence of their ilk and attributed the thin attendance of employees to the inclement weather on Monday.
When asked why the attendance was still flimsy even on the second working day after the weather had improved considerably, a senior government official said that government employees are, perhaps still in a festive mood.
It is also learnt that the attendance of the Government employees was negligible in almost all Government offices throughout the State.
It may be mentioned that the State Government has been on extended holiday from December 24 till January 1.