SHILLONG, Dec 13: The Cabinet on Tuesday amended the Meghalaya Service Rules for the inclusion of the Meghalaya Medical Service Recruitment Board (MMSRB).
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told reporters the inclusion of the MMSRB in the service rules was necessary to allow the board to function and conduct necessary examinations in the vacancies of doctors.
“It is a small amendment but it was necessary to enable the board to function in a smooth manner,” Sangma said.
The Cabinet also approved the release of arrears as per the 5th Pay Finance Commission to various posts in the private colleges, receiving ad hoc grant in aid from the state government.
Sangma said 75% of the grant-in-aid given to a particular post is borne by the government and 25% by the managing committees. The colleges include Acheng Rangmanpa College, Mahendraganj; Raid Laban College, Shillong; Women’s College, Shillong; Sngap Syiem College, Mawkyrwat; Tikrikilla College; Durama College, Rongkhon and Sohra College. He said they were not receiving the 5th Pay Commission and it was made applicable to them after necessary homework.
“The financial implication for the clearing of the arrears is Rs 4.5 crore and it was due for the last four and half years. This was a long-pending issue and it has been finally cleared today,” Sangma said.
He disclosed that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed different state governments on the need to pay compensation on accounts of deaths of prisoners.
“Hence, based on the directions of the NHRC, the Cabinet today approved this compensation and this will also be notified,” the CM said.
He said the Cabinet has decided to start BA and B.Com courses at the College of Teachers Education, Tura by creating 39 posts of teachers and other posts of non-teaching staff. He said this is being done as per the new Education Policy which requires the colleges to have multi-disciplines.
“We have taken this decision to enable this college to be able to move in the line of the new Education Policy,” he said.
Sangma said the Cabinet also approved the delegation of financial powers under Schedule 4 for the Meghalaya Public Service Commission. This is being done to ensure that the Commission can function smoothly, he said.
“Before this was done, the Commission had to take necessary approval even for renting of halls, expenditure for the conduct of examinations and other aspects,” he said, adding, the Commission will now be able to function independently.
Further, the Cabinet approved the proposal to rename the Capt Williamson Sangma Technical University as Capt Williamson Sangma State University.
Sangma said the Cabinet took this decision as Meghalaya does not have a state university and therefore, all colleges are required to affiliate to the North Eastern Hills University or NEHU. He said the colleges in the state will now have the option to affiliate to the state university.
He said provisions at the national level, including CUET, which were necessary would not be applicable anymore once these colleges are affiliated to the state university. He said the idea was to expand the university work and subjects from just technical to state university.
“We have approved the necessary amendments required to facilitate the renaming of the Capt Williamson Sangma Technical University,” Sangma said.
The proposal for the setting up of 12 new “People’s Colleges” throughout the state also got the Cabinet’s nod.
The 12 colleges are Thomas Jones Synod College, Jowai; Abong Noga College, Tura; Khrawsing Christian College Mawphlang, Ri-War College, Pynursla; Loyola College, Williamnagar; Balawan College, Umsning; Mawsynram Border Area College, Mawsynram; Selsella College, Selsella; Seng Khasi College, Jaiaw; Mendipathar College, Sngap Syiem College and Tikrikilla College, Tikrikilla.
Stating that the financial implications for the 12 colleges will be about Rs 17.94 crore, Sangma said the annual expenditure for each college will be Rs 1.5 crore. He said the government has come up with the new People’s Colleges to address the concern that many youths cannot study in colleges due to lack of seats.
“We hear this kind of problem every year. As per our mandate and mission, we have decided to give top priority to education,” the CM said.
The Cabinet also approved the proposal for sanctioned posts for the Shillong Government College of Engineering, Shillong and the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tura. Sangma said 99% of infrastructure and buildings of the two colleges are complete.
“We are hopeful that by July next, the first academic session can be started after completing all necessary formalities,” he said.
The actual strength of staff in the Shillong Government College of Engineering is 50. It is 47 in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The annual financial implications on the sanctioned posts for the two colleges will be Rs 2.87 crore and Rs 2.7 crore respectively.
