SHILLONG: Meghalaya Government has spent more than Rs 19 lakhs for holding two State Cabinet meetings in Tura and Jowai under the ‘Cabinet on the Move’ programme.
Replying to a question from Congress MLA, Zenith Sangma about the fate of programme, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the programme has been temporarily suspended due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Informing that the expenditure incurred so far in holding two meetings is Rs 19,18,221, Sangma said that the logic behind the programme is to bring the administration closer to the people.
Moving supplementary questions, Zenith Sangma said that all the officers in the districts where meeting was held engaged and due to this, the working of the district administration was paralysed.
Chief Minister countered the allegations by saying that the Government apart from Cabinet meeting also held several review meetings with the district administration and the Government was ensuring that Government connected with grassroots people with this move.
” We cannot make all decisions sitting in Shillong as there are specific issues and with this programme,we are able to connect in a better way with people,” Chief Minister added.
The Opposition MLA, Zenith Sangma however took a jibe on the Government saying how holding meetings in different districts would connect with people when nobody was allowed to see the meeting.
” It is just a wastage of public money,” Zenith Sangma said.
