SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has asked all the 11 Cabinet ministers to visit each district in every three months to bridge the gap between the government and its people.
Replying to the discussion on Budget during the ongoing session here on Friday, the chief minister said the ministers will stay in the districts for one or two days to review all the schemes and programmes being implemented.
The ministers, besides holding review meetings will also hold public meetings to get first hand information about the implementation of various schemes. The Chief Minister’s Office will take a report from the ministers on their visits.
Later, speaking to reporters, Sangma said, “This (the visit) will be on a rotational basis as the ministers will spend at least one night (in the district). The intention is to be with people for reviewing programmes. They will bring to the notice of the government the feedback.”
These tours will begin from the first quarter and the ministers have been issued a memo in this regard, the chief minister added. In the next 12 months, every minister will cover all districts.
It may be mentioned that similar directives were issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his ministers after forming the government at the Centre. All the ministers were directed to visit northeastern states to get firsthand information about the implementation of schemes and understand the problems of the region.
To a question by reporters whether he was copying the Prime Minister, Sangma said, “It is not copying. As an MP, I used to visit the districts every quarter and I found it to be useful for monitoring of schemes.”
“It is not for finding fault with anyone but it will help in the overall improvement of programmes and policies of the government,” he added. Earlier, Sangma spoke in detail about the steps taken by the government to ease traffic congestion in Shillong saying the task force has identified 18 locations which can be decongested. The Transport Department has conducted necessary survey in those locations.
Sangma also pointed out that the government is working on war-footing to ensure early completion of the Mawlai bypass.
The chief minister informed the House that Union Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons recently took up the matter of expediting the work for the proposed Western Bypass with Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi.
“The government is aggressively pursuing the Shillong-Dawki road project,” he added.
