By Pooja Bhula
SHILLONG: Meghalaya Civil Services (MCS) officers from other districts who visit Shillong for official purposes have to shell out money from their own pockets for accommodation.
While Shillong has a circuit house its capacity is not enough. “It has only about 6 rooms and these are generally reserved for VIPs coming from other states,” HM Shangpliang, Director of Social Welfare and Information and Public Relations, said.
The reference is to officers of the level of Extra Assistant Commissioners (EAC) who earn Rs 25000 per month and onwards, and who come for a limited period of time on official visits. With no other option they have seek accommodation in hotels and guest houses or sometimes put up with their friends or relatives.
Incidentally, Meghalaya’s tourism website provides a list of eighteen hotels, sixteen guest houses and two Bed and Breakfast (BnB) centres. The minimum rate per night in hotels and guest houses ranges from Rs 1000 to Rs 3000. Only a handful of these offer rates lower than that. The BnBs are not much cheaper either as they range from Rs 600 to Rs 800 per night.
The DA that these officers get only covers 20 per cent of the cost.
“On an average 10 to15 officers come every month; they do get their TA (travel allowance) and DA, but the DA is only Rs 200,” Shangpliang said.
He informed that he had taken up the matter with Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma during the annual MCS conference on October 13.
When asked about the steps to be taken in this regard, Shangpliang said, “No formal proposal has been sent to the CM’s office as yet, but we have discussed it during the conference.”
