SHILLONG, April 6: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) Government will be an inclusive government, wherein the ideas of every stakeholder will be given importance, Chief Minister Conrad Kongkal Sangma said on Friday.
Replying to the debate on the Governor’s address, Conrad said that the government would encourage bureaucrats, ministers and every MLA to think of ideas and discuss and deliberate on them.
“I don’t want to find faults in individuals. I want to be part of the solution and want my government to be a positive one where everyone one of us will be equal stakeholders,” the Chief Minister said.
Conrad also reaffirmed his government’s commitment to serve the people of the state and asserted that he would rather want action to speak rather than give long lectures in the House.
The Chief Minister also reiterated that education sector will be the top priority for his government even as he added that in this direction his government had allotted nearly Rs 1000 crore (Rs 969.64 crore) in the Budget for the year 2018-19.
The Chief Minister informed that state government has set up a consultative task force to examine the education policy.
Conrad further informed that the task force has been given a period three months to submit its report to the Government.
The Chief Minister further assured that as soon as this report is submitted, the draft policy will be put in the public domain so that people can give their suggestions on the policy.
Sangma also pointed out that children in the state fear mathematics and science and called upon the parents to inculcate and elicit interest among the students on these two subjects.
Expressing his gratitude to the Central Government for disbursing the salary to the tune of 135 crore rupees for the teachers from the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, the Chief Minister said that the arrears which needs to be disbursed for the last seven to eight months amount to around Rs 89 crore is still pending.
Conrad pointed out that his government wants to have a government college in every districts of the state but pointed at challenges of lack of funds.
On the law and order front the Chief Minister urged the society to change their mindset so that crimes against women and children are curbed.
Conrad also informed that the Government has issued directive that all heinous crimes against women and children should be transferred to the fast track court.
Speaking on the infiltration from across the intertiol border, Conrad said the matter is of top priority to the government.
Meanwhile, on the issue of Bills pending with the District Council Affairs department, the Chief Minister informed that 22 bills were submitted to the department from the year 2014-16 out of which 10 were referred back to the Council for clarification while only one Bill is pending with the department.
On the growing number of cancer cases in the state, Chief Minister informed the House that the State Government is coming out with a policy for free supply of cancer drugs to the people even as he added that the draft for the same is in fil stages and the next Cabinet meeting would take a call on the matter, adding that as many as 32 sub health centres will be up-graded in this fincial year.
The Chief Minister also informed that the government is also working on a war footing for the construction of medical colleges in Shillong and Tura.
