Shillong, Feb 9: Meghalaya Cabinet on Friday approved the amendments to the Meghalaya Building Bye-Laws 2021 for sustainable urban development in Meghalaya.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that these amendments are being done in line with certain provisions and certain conditions that has been put in by government of India.
“This is also to ensure that overall safety of the buildings are there and also to ensure that the smaller land holdings, there could be more utilization of the land by small land owners, because earlier there was some restrictions in terms of the gap that you had to leave from the front and the rear and the sides. That has been reduced and some other amendments have been made, like the height of the buildings that are permissible, and also to the construction of buildings in areas which are 50 plus degrees and higher slopes, certain provisions will apply,” explained the chief minister.
Cabinet also approved the Shillong Urban Mobility policy 2024. This again is done in line with the Government of India wherein to ensure that the overall mobility in Shillong improves, a policy has to be created hence the Cabinet cleared the policy today.
This policy includes aspects of public transportation, creating more walking space, reducing the congestions and creating parking spaces, so on and so forth.
“So this policy just gives an outline on how we will approach that. But most importantly, both the amendment to the Meghalaya building Bye Laws 2021 and the Shillong Urban Mobility Policy, these amendments and these particular policies have also been adopted with the intention of also ensuring that we are able to avail the special assistance on capital investment for urban areas,” states Sangma.
As Government of India has earmarked Rs 15,000 crores as special assistance for capital investment, especially for urban areas. And in that there are certain guidelines that need to be followed certain policies need to be created certain homework to be done.
Sangma said that keeping all of those things in mind, he was glad to inform that out of the 15,000 crores the government had put in a proposal of 619 crores from Meghalaya’s point of view. “We have already received approval for close to 500 crores out of this and we’re expecting another 100 crores to come in after these approvals and these amendments are done,” said Sangma.
He added that they are expecting that Meghalaya should receive 597 crores. “But even if the Rs 100 crores are still pending, we are expected to get 497 almost 500 crores from the special assistance on capital investment for urban in this particular financial year,” mentioned the chief minister.
Sangma said that larger states like Uttar Pradesh and Assam also are receiving roughly about 500 crores which is the same as what Meghalaya is expected to receive.
Cabinet also approved the draft of the governor’s address for 2024.
Cabinet also approved the Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act 2006 that has been formally approved now as a bill will be taken up in the assembly.
The Meghalaya Engineering Public Works Department Service Rules 1995, had to be amended because certain changes were there and since there were many changes, so instead of amending it, the Cabinet have come out with fresh rules. The old rules have now been scrapped and have brought in the new rules.