M’laya & K’taka legislative committees discuss welfare initiatives for minorities

SHILLONG, May 30: The Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Friday held a meeting with its counterpart from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly to discuss various welfare initiatives implemented by the governments of Meghalaya and Karnataka.
According to a statement here, the joint session, chaired by Amlarem MLA Lahkmen Rymbui, took place at the Annexe Hall in Rilbong, Shillong.
“The meeting served as a platform for exchanging ideas, policies, and best practices related to the welfare of Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, and Other Backward Classes. Discussions focused on strengthening collaborative efforts and learning from each other’s experiences to improve welfare initiatives in both states,” the statement said.
The Meghalaya delegation included Dadenggre MLA Rupa M. Marak, along with co-opted members Shibu Das and Sagar Ch. Das. Senior officials from the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Secretariat, including deputy secretary Raja Kharpuri, committee officer L. Mynsong, and Nicely Kharbuli were also present.
Similarly, the Karnataka delegation was led by Kollegal MLA AR Krishnamurthy, who was accompanied by MLAs G.H. Srinivasa, HV Venkatesh, Gururaj Shetty Gantihole, Siddu Patil, and Katti Nikhil Umesh, as well as Legislative Council Members, namely Dr. Dhananjaya Sarji SR and Balkis Banu. Supporting them were secretariat officials, namely deputy secretary Shivaramachari, under secretary G. Mamatha, and section officer S. Rajashekar.
Following the meeting, Dadenggre MLA highlighted the importance of such engagements. “Today, we had a very fruitful and insightful meeting with our sister committee from Karnataka. They traveled all the way to Meghalaya, and we had an engaging discussion on the various welfare initiatives implemented by the governments of Karnataka and Meghalaya. We exchanged views, shared experiences and explored policy frameworks that support the welfare of SCs, STs and OBCs in both states. This exchange of ideas and perspectives will certainly help us shape more inclusive policies not just for our respective states, but for the nation as a whole,” Marak remarked.