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MDA Govt begins review of all programmes, policies

By STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILONG, April 7 - Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Friday said a review of all the government departments has been recently completed and a similar review of all the government programmes and policies would begin immediately.

Replying to the debate on the Governor�s address in the Assembly, Sangma said, the review of the programmes and policies has begun and the whole process would be completed within the next 20 odd days.

He said the idea behind the initiative is to study which are the programmes and policies that need to be continued, giving extra impetus and others which need to be relooked as to their viability.

Reiterating that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) Government would take the review process positively and not vindictively, as most were initiated by the previous Congress Government, Sangma said: �We are here to listen�give me the wildest ideas. We are not here to find faults.�

Touching on former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma�s pet project � Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Programme (IBDL), the CM said, the State Planning Board (SPB) has been tasked separately to have a relook at the programme.

He said the SPB would conduct a detailed study of the IBDL and come up with a report on the impact it had on the people and then a decision would be taken.

�We are part of the same team (treasury and opposition). We don�t want to pull up any officer or Minister. Everyone is an equal stakeholder in the process of governance,� Sangma said.

Giving top priority to the development of the education sector, the CM said, the State won�t progress if quality education is not provided to the students.

In this regard, a task force has been formed to examine the State Education Policy and it would submit its report in the next three months. He further stated that the Government has also taken it up as a challenge to set up a Government college in each of the eleven districts of the State.

Stating that the State faces a huge challenge in overhauling the education sector owing to shortage of fund, nonetheless, Sangma said, the State Government would establish additional classes in 150 schools across the State.

One hundred such classes would be in Garo Hills region where the students have fared poorly in their board exams over the years.

Several other initiatives were spelled out by the CM including taking efforts to make study of Science and Mathematics friendly for the students to overcome their fear of these subjects.

Setting up smart classes in few schools and colleges on a pilot project basis, proper implementation of the Right to Education Act are some of the other initiatives that would be taken up to overhaul this important sector, the CM stated.

On crime against children and women, Sangma said the mindset too has to be changed with the help of the society together with proper implementation of law.

The CM touched on all the major departments of the State and said task forces and committees headed by a Group of Ministers have been formed to brainstorm and find solutions like on the ban on coal mining, traffic snarls in the State Capital and making Meghalaya as an attractive adventure tourist destination.

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