Speaker chairs meeting on new Assembly building

Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma chaired a meeting of the High Powered Committee on the construction of the new Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Deputy Speaker Timothy D Shira, legislators Charles Pyngrope, Lahkmen Rymbui, and Banteidor Lyngdoh, Chief Secretary DP Wahlang, Commissioner & Secretary, Meghalaya Assembly, Dr Andrew Simons and other government officials.

After the meeting, the Assembly Speaker informed that the HPC meeting was held to give administrative approval to the new design of the dome as well as financial approval citing the increase of scope of work.

He stated that the new design has been vetted by IIT Roorkee and IIT Guwahati, and added that construction work of the building will proceed now.

‘The HPC sat to give administrative approval (to the new dome design) and also there was some financial approval required. The scope of work has also increased,’ the Speaker said.

‘After Eid work will resume in full swing,’ the Speaker said.

He also informed that the HPC has appointed a Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC) as per the observations made by IIT Guwahati in the report on the collapse of the dome.

He also informed that the PWD & PMC has been instructed to look at the second phase of construction simultaneously.

Planning Board committed to state’s welfare: Metbah

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 4: Chairman of the Meghalaya State Planning Board Metbah Lyngdoh today said the board is committed to contributing to the welfare of the state.

After chairing the first meeting of the board, Lyngdoh said, “We are not here just because we are appointed as chairman or members of the board. We are here to contribute to the welfare of the state and we are very committed.”

“I am pleased to inform you that both the members who are co-chairmen of the board have said that we are not here not to just enjoy the perks and facilities of the government but we are here to contribute and we will ensure that we will do so in this year being the first year otherwise it will not have that joy for us to enjoy those perks and facilities from the government,” he added.

Lyngdoh however informed that the first meeting of the board was an introductory kind of meeting. He said the government is yet to issue necessary notification for the appointment of other members of the board.

As of now, the board has only three members including the chairman and two co-chairmen, who all are elected representatives.

He said like the previous board, other official members will include Chief Secretary, Commissioner & Secretary and others including experts from different fields.

ALSO READ: Govt to review Shillong, Tura medical colleges

“The planning department in consultation with the chief minister and the board chairman will notify those expert members about 4-5 members to be members of this planning board,” he said.

The chairman of the planning board said, “Once we have a full-fledged board we will swing into action as far as the board is concerned to discuss the different line departments and to suggest the government accordingly.”

“We will start sometime again next week. We will have a review and we will meet the Chief Minister and discuss with them about the function of the board and how to make it more effective. We will suggest and discuss with him,” he added.