SHILLONG, April 8: Governance in Meghalaya seems to have taken a backseat with administration and official work taking a major hit as most of the Cabinet ministers including Chief Minister Conrad Sangma are busy campaigning in Garo Hills ahead of the GHADC elections scheduled on Monday.
The chief minister left the state capital on March 20 and since then he has been actively campaigning in Garo Hills for his party candidates. He has not returned to Shillong to look after his official duties.
Cabinet ministers have also been busy campaigning for their respective party candidates in Garo Hills, literally bringing governance to a halt.
The Main Secretariat looked deserted on Wednesday and even on Thursday.
Most of the chambers occupied by ministers were empty.
Officials in the Main Secretariat, on the request of anonymity, admitted that the absence of the ministers, especially the chief minister has taken its toll as files have not moved an inch.
Most of the officers have adopted a leisurely attitude towards work in the absence of the ministers, a source disclosed.
With the state staring at a host of crises, especially in the Power department, the officers lamented that at this time of crisis, the top political bosses should have focused on governance to mitigate the problems instead of concentrating on elections.