Saturday, April 5, 2025

First Cabinet meeting of Meghalaya govt takes step to repeal Gaming Act 2021

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Shillong, March 9: Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma today informed that the state government would table an amendment bill to repeal the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act (MRGA), 2021 during the upcoming Assembly budget session.

Talking to reporters after the first cabinet meeting of the MDA 2.0 Government here, Sangma mentioned that the Cabinet had earlier passed an ordinance to repeal the Act. “We are going to put it in the form of a bill as the session is on,” he stated said

It may be recalled that the Cabinet on November 10 last year had passed an ordinance to repeal this controversial act following stiff opposition from different pressure groups in the state, including church leaders, against setting up of casinos in the state.

The Government had even issued licences in March last year to set up three casinos leading to widespread protests and agitations by various organisations in the state.

Chief Minister said that the govt would also table the Contingency Fund of Meghalaya Amendment Bill, 2023 during the upcoming session.

“We had brought in an ordinance even for this. We will now bring in the form of a bill,” Sangma added.

Responding to a query from the media, the CM said that the MDA constituents BJP and HSPDP  had informed that the MLAs of these parties would share the cabinet berths allotted to them. Both the BJP and HSPDP which have two MLAs each, have been allotted one cabinet berth each.

The Chief Minister further commented that composition of the state cabinet should be such that it is in the best interest of the state and the present composition of the Council of Ministers in MDA 2.0 — four ministers from Garo Hills and eight from Khasi and Jaintia Hills region — should not be taken as a pattern.

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