SHILLONG: Fifteen Government employees have been selected for the Meghalaya Day Excellence Awards.
The announcement has come from the Government on the eve of the Meghalaya Day celebrations to be observed on Tuesday.
The employees who have been selected for the awards are – Sanme R Marak, Joint Resident Commissioner, Meghalaya House, New Delhi; Gilbert Mawrie, senior Monitoring Officer & ex-Officio, Deputy Secretary, Planning Department; Crosspillar Marak, Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer, Agriculture Department; Aiban Swer, Assistant Soil Conservation Officer, Soil & Water Conservation Department; Sweetiena K Rajee, Superintendent, O/o The Commissioner & Division for Khasi, Jaintia & Ri Bhoi District, Shillong; Valentina Shylla, UD Assistant, O/o The Deputy Commissioner, Jowai; Howard N Arengh, UD Assistant, Water Resources Department, Shillong; Barisha Lyngdoh, UD Assistant, Forest & Environment Department; Deity Devi Myrthong, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife, Umjarain Sub Centre, O/o DMHO, West Khasi Hills, Nongstoin; Jubilee E Lyngdoh, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife, Lawbyrtun Sub Centre, DMHO, West Khasi Hills, Nongstoin; Ranjan Chakraborty, LD Assistant, O/o The Commandant, 1st MLP Bn, Mawiong; Shanti Lata Sangma, Head Assistant, O/o The Deputy Commissioner, South Garo Hills District, Ampati; Arun Rai, Bearer, O/o The Trade Adviser & Director of Movement, Government of Meghalaya, Kolkata; Denister Marbaniang, Peon, O/o The Child Development Officer, ICDS, Mawphlang and Nur Mohammad, Driver, Health Department PRCH, Shillong.
To mark the occasion, a State-level function will be held at U Soso Tham Auditorium on Tuesday evening. A special fireworks display will be a special attraction of the Meghalaya Day celebrations. The fireworks display will be held at Khyndailad from 6 pm.

‘State needs better work culture, job opportunities’

SHILLONG: The Hill State of Meghalaya, carved out of Assam on January 21, 1972, will attain 42 years of Statehood on Tuesday. However, the big question before the residents of Meghalaya is whether successive governments in the State have been able to deliver or not.
The Shillong Times spoke to a few persons, who were part of the governance in the State, and sought their observation on the development index of the State.
Former Meghalaya Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee was of the opinion that the work culture in Meghalaya needs to be drastically improved as frequent bandhs, agitations and closure of academic institutions, that are a norm in the State, are detrimental to a good work culture.
According to Chatterjee, Meghalaya can do well by creating more job opportunities in the Information Technology (IT) sector within the State which can absorb huge number of youths.
He also stated that Meghalaya needs homogeneity in politics when it comes to development of the State, adding that ‘politics should be in favour of development and not against it’.
SK Tewari, another former Chief Secretary of Meghalaya, said the State suffers from the same issues prevalent in other states in the country, be it health, power, jobs and agriculture.
He also stated the Government has to go all out for the development of Meghalaya in terms of infrastructure, roads, power and job opportunities for the rural youths.
Senior Advocate of the High Court of Meghalaya, VGK Kynta, admitted that there is not  much development in the State and even the law and order situation in the State is at its worst stage.
He also referred to a speech of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi wherein he had stated that development is seen in Western India but there are no signs of development in North Eastern India.
East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Vijay Kumar Mantri admitted that good education and proper health care are the two basic unfulfilled needs in Garo Hills and stated that the Government must improve roads, cellular and banking connectivity in Garo Hills for the region to progress.

42 years on: Areas that need improvement

•     Better work culture
•     No to bandhs  
•     Jobs in IT sector  
•     Development oriented politics 
•     Opportunities for rural youths 
•     Road, cell, banking connectivity in Garo Hills