SHILLONG, April 13 - �Modi effect� has encouraged Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to take governance to people�s doorsteps as Cabinet Ministers would now visit the districts every quarter, to review implementation of Government programmes and hold public hearings.
The decision was announced by Sangma while replying to discussions on the Budget in the Assembly today. He said that the move would help improve implementation of the Government schemes and programmes at the grassroot level.
Incidentally, Meghalaya has eleven districts and an equal number of Cabinet Ministers, minus the CM. Sangma said that Ministers would be visiting the districts on a rotation basis, so every three months, there would be a different Minister reviewing the Government programmes and policies.
The Chief Minister said that the Ministers would stay overnight in the district during the review process and would take up at least �five to six� Government schemes and review them. �The Cabinet Ministers were also asked to hold public hearing during the review process,� he informed the House.
The move is akin to the NDA Government�s decision to have at least one Union Minister visit the region every fortnight and review the programmes and policies being implemented in North East.
Sangma said that the decision is not to �catch� anyone, but to see that money meant for certain programmes and policies of the Government are utilised in the manner it was intended for.
�It�s important that money is spent properly. It would improve implementation of programmes and policies and is not to catch anyone, but work together,� the Chief Minister stated.
The decision would be implemented from this month, he said, and the Chief Minister�s Office and the department of Programme Implementation would be overseeing these tours of the Cabinet Ministers.
It�s expected that the Ministers submit their reports to the CMO and the department of Programme Implementation after they complete their reviews, he added.
Announcing other new initiatives that would be undertaken by the Government over the next few months, Sangma said, solar energy would be used in Community and Public Health Centres having erratic power supply.
Moreover, all street lamps would be replaced with LED lights and Central Government agency EESL has agreed to undertake the work soon and the fund would be repaid in the next seven years as per the agreement.
