SHILLONG: Information and Public Relations Minister, A L Hek on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the construction of the office building of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) at Lower Lachaumiere here.
Also present on the occasion were Chairman, Meghalaya Government Construction Corporation Ltd (MGCC), R V Lyngdoh, MLA, Commissioner & Secretary, IPR, M H K Marak, Director, IPR, H M Shangpliang among others.
The construction work for the DIPR office has been entrusted to the MGCC at an estimated cost of Rs. 9.42 crore and the building is expected to be completed by March 2018.
Besides the office of DIPR, the building will also accommodate the Meghalaya Integrated Information System, Office of the Commandant Civil Task Force, Passport Seva Kendra, Shillong Press Club and Meghalaya Editors and Publishers Association (MEPA).
Addressing the gathering Hek said that the long cherished dream of having IPR’s own building was being realized thanks to the vision and leadership of the present and past directors, officers and the department as a whole.
As a mouthpiece of the Government, the Minister urged upon the officers and staff of the department to render their services to the maximum to ensure people’s participation in the successful implementation of different developmental programmes and schemes.
The Minister also called upon the MGCC and the contractor to speed up the construction work to ensure that the building is completed within the stipulated time to avoid cost overrun.