SHILLONG: The state government is planning to have cabinet meetings at different district headquarters on a rotation basis.
Currently, the cabinet meetings are held at the Main Secretariat located in the city.
Delivering the budget speech for 2019-2020 on Tuesday, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said. “All these steps are aimed at making the administration more responsive and effective.”
Earlier in the day, during the reply to Governor’s address, Sangma said he plans to hold cabinet meetings in the district headquarters like Jowai, Nongsotin and others which will bring administration closer to the people.
“I have always asked my ministers and MLAs not to sit in Shillong and instead go to the villages to understand the real issues. “You cannot sit in Shillong and expect changes to come,” he said. According to Sangma, improving governance is a cross-cutting reform that will contribute to gains across the government system.
The chief minister along with his cabinet ministers have started systematic monthly reviews of the different government departments and the deputy commissioners to infuse the necessary seriousness into the whole government machinery, he informed.
Further, the chief minister said the government is also institutionalizing the practice of having quarterly conference of the deputy commissioners which act as platforms for exchange of ideas and promote learning between the districts.
“Directions have also been issued to the Deputy Commissioners to do systematic reviews of all departments at least once every two months and to do extensive field visits and inspections,” Sangma said.
Informing that he along with others, including DGP and Chief Secretary recently visited Baghmara and spent two days there to see the problems of the people, he urged officers to get their ‘hands dirty’ and visit different places to understand the ground reality.
