SHILLONG, July 12: Law Minister James Sangma on Tuesday argued that while governance is a slow process — from research and consultations to implementation and monitoring — public expectations are highly dynamic and varied, and keeping up with this requires capacity-building from time to time.
The Law minister was speaking during an event here for the inauguration of the PA Sangma Fellowship for Legal and Policy Research.
James, in his address, said that the launch of the fellowship programme is a realisation of the vision to boost governance, student engagement as well as capacity-building exercises of state officials.
“Although the state of Meghalaya is small, there are socio-economic challenges, challenges in streamlining public services, challenges in ensuring representation and participation and, most importantly, the challenge of catering governance to the people in a just, timely and impartial manner,” the Law minister said.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who inaugurated the fellowship programme, said the concept of having a fellowship and research-based policymaking was something that had been missing for a very long time.
“Though we have bureaucrats and legislators, we are not experts in a number of minor details that are very important for proper lawmaking and the larger goal is to ensure that the people are put first by this unique collaboration from the Judiciary and the Legislative for the larger interest of the people,” he said.
The chief minister also maintained that if there is a research-based policymaking, there will be a better framework to ensure that the system as a whole works.
“This programme is part of the larger goal in order to make sure that the system as a whole improves and the capacity of every individual improves,” he added.
Conrad, during the event, also remembered former chief minister PA Sangma and his know-how of law, journalism, teaching and politics.
“So, it is only befitting that this fellowship programme is named after him,” the chief minister added.
The inaugural programme was also attended by officials from the Law department, law students, research fellows, Chief Secretary RV Suchiang, Secretary of Law department CVD Diengdoh and Prof Sony Pellissery from National Law School of India University.
