Beautification drive launched at Mawlai Mawroh
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 17: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday said that meaningful governance and sustainable urban transformation can only be achieved through strong interaction and collaboration between the government and citizens, asserting that real change begins at the grassroots level when public concerns are heard and acted upon.
Launching the City Beautification Drive at Mawlai Mawroh, he said civic reform requires a unified effort between society and the government. “Real governance and grassroots governance happen when there is interaction, when there is communication, and when suggestions are translated into action,” he said.
Stressing the importance of community participation, Sangma remarked, “Until and unless the society and the government work together, we will not be able to achieve the kind of reformation and the change that we would like to see.”
He added that even small initiatives can collectively bring about significant long-term development.
Echoing similar views, Chief Secretary Shakil P. Ahammed said Shillong has the potential to become the cleanest city in the country, building on Meghalaya’s achievements of having the cleanest village and river. He underlined that sustained community involvement would be crucial to extending these successes to urban areas.
“Whatever the government undertakes, once the community becomes a part and parcel of it, the outcome becomes multifold,” he said, urging the Rangbah Shnongs and residents to take ownership of cleanliness and beautification initiatives.
Following the inauguration of the CCTV surveillance system at Mawlai Mawroh, the chief minister said that work at another 25 locations is nearing completion, with the remaining sites expected to be completed by January, enabling the immediate rollout of the second phase of the project.
Speaking on the ‘Paint My City’ campaign, he announced the transfer of funds and led the ceremonial handover of cheques to community stakeholders.
Emphasising the value of incremental progress, Sangma said, “There is nothing called small or big development work. Even minor changes can have a substantial impact on overall development goals.”
As part of the programme, he distributed beautification grants ranging from ₹75,000 to ₹1 lakh to 60 localities, supporting community-driven efforts to enhance public spaces.
He also formally launched the beautification drive through symbolic painting at Mawlai Bridge, Iewrynghep, covering areas under Mawlai Mawroh and Mawlai Iewrynghep.
