On eve of retirement, DP Wahlang looks back at ‘satisfactory’ tenure
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 29: Chief Secretary DP Wahlang, a 1993 batch IAS officer, is set to retire from service on Tuesday. Ahead of his retirement, he urged his colleagues to put more effort into their work—“not only with their head but also with their heart.”
Speaking to media persons about his long career, Wahlang, who took over as Chief Secretary in August 2022, said he looked back on his tenure with a deep sense of satisfaction. “Whatever goals and objectives I had set at the beginning of my tenure, I have been able to fulfil most of them. From the political side as well, I got full support and never had any problems over the last three years, so I am exiting with a lot of satisfaction,” he said.
Reflecting on his tenure, Wahlang noted that he had not faced any major crises, adding that the overall law and order situation in the state had been relatively stable. “There were two or three hiccups—the firing in the border areas with Assam, occasional skirmishes across the border, and the Bangladesh issue which required quick steps. But apart from that, insurgency and militancy remained under control, and the situation in Shillong, Jowai, and Tura was generally stable,” he said.
When asked for advice to his colleagues, Wahlang said, “It is important that you work not only with your intellectual capacity but also with compassion. The decisions we take as government servants directly affect the lives of the poorest of the poor, many of whom we may never meet. But the decisions taken on file impact their daily lives.”
On his achievements, Wahlang highlighted his efforts to streamline the administrative system in the Secretariat and Directorates, with special emphasis on capacity building. He also pointed out that service rules across departments had been upgraded, and it was now mandatory for every department to have service rules in place, failing which departmental promotion committees would not sit.
Asked about unfinished tasks, Wahlang admitted that he would have liked to resolve Shillong’s traffic problems. “There is no quick-fix solution, but a comprehensive traffic management plan has been drawn up with short-, medium-, and long-term measures. At present, we are in the short-term phase, constructing a large number of parking lots, including those in partnership with local Dorbars. New roads such as the Western Bypass, High-Speed Corridor, and Tura Bypass have also been sanctioned. Traffic issues will take time to improve, but with the plans we have in place, I am confident we will see results in the future,” he said.
He further admitted that progress on the Wahumkhrah river issue could have been better. “We began late—at the end of my second year. If we had started earlier, the project would have been completed by now. Still, improvements are visible. The quality of water, as tested by the Pollution Control Board, has improved, and beautification works are in progress. In another year, you will see a very beautiful facade at Wahumkhrah,” he said. Post-retirement, Wahlang will take over as Chairman of the Meghalaya State Food Commission. “It is a responsible position, as I will be overseeing the distribution of rice and other foodgrains under the Public Distribution System, as well as monitoring the Mid-Day Meal programme and food provided in anganwadi centres,” he added.
Admitting that drugs pose a serious challenge, Wahlang said the government has been adopting a multi-pronged approach to tackle the issue of drugs in the state but merely catching drug peddlers is not a solution.
“From the police side, the anti-drug squad is already in place. We are also looking at the DREAM project, which was launched about two-and-a-half years ago, and a full-time Mission Director has been appointed there. But it is very important that we work in tandem with the local community and stakeholders,” he said.
He informed that the government has increased the number of drug rehabilitation centres and expressed hope that the problem could be addressed effectively through community participation. “Otherwise, just trying to catch hold of drug peddlers will not solve the issue,” he added. “We need a lot of counselling, more engagement with the community, and focused counselling for victims,” Wahlang stressed.
