News Analysis India

Tag: Meghalaya CM

  • Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma rushes to Manipur to negotiate government formation with BJP

    By PTI

    SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his brother Power Minister James PK Sangma on Friday skipped the Assembly session here to rush to Manipur to negotiate with BJP in a bid to include the National People’s Party in the next government in that state.

    However, BJP which has won a simple majority in the Manipur assembly in elections, counting for which concluded Thursday and its state leaders including care-taker chief minister N Biren Singh have indicated they are not too keen to continue the alliance with NPP which is part of the NDA, in the state.

    The NPP has won 7 seats and is the second largest party in Manipur while the BJP has won 32 seats.

    The saffron party’s leaders have however indicated they favoured taking support from the Naga People’s Front which has 5 seats.

    “The Meghalaya Chief Minister is camping in Imphal along with NPP national spokesperson James PK Sangma. They are camping at the state capital with other party leaders,” a NPP leader told PTI, requesting anonymity.

    The NPP president is using his age-old connections with BJP top leadership both in the North East and in Delhi to try and mend the broken relationship his party shared with the BJP in Manipur, according to the NPP leader.

    The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance led by the NPP in also includes 2 BJP MLAs, one of whom is in the cabinet.

    However, the BJP has been unhappy with the MDA taking in Congress legislators into the Government and with NPP engaging the BJP in `friendly’ fights in the Manipur assembly elections.

  • Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma meets central ministers, seeks special central assistance

    By PTI
    SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi and sought special central assistance for funding different projects, official sources here said.

    Sangma, who was accompanied by Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh, briefed the union minister on the progress of works for the water supply scheme in Tura, Nongstoin and Greater Shillong, construction of new assembly building, upgradation of health infrastructure and setting up of residential schools, the sources said.

    The state government has requested for additional fund of Rs 200 cr for ongoing projects in the State.

    Sangma requested Sitharaman to intervene and issue advisory to all banks to make SHG portfolio a part of their key performance indicators.

    During the pandemic, SHGs in Meghalaya played a major role in ensuing cash flow at the grassroot level and ensured access to finance to the low income groups.

    Hence, SHGs have a major role to play in terms of taking financial services to the last mile populations.

    “Since Meghalaya has low penetration of bank branches in the rural areas and as such the SHG network can help bridge the gap in providing the basic financial services,” the chief minister was quoted as saying.

    He also called on Union DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh, Rail Minister Piyush Goyal, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda.

    He also called on Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and briefed him of the ongoing work on National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Sohra, which has been halted due to paucity of funds, the sources said.

    Conrad requested Pokhriyal to release additional funds to complete the building, the sources said.

    NIT, Sohra requires an additional 258 cr to be completed.

  • Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma invites Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to visit state

    By PTI
    SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in Delhi and informed him about the progress of construction of the new state Assembly building and invited him to visit the hill state, officials said.

    The chief minister was accompanied by state Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh.

    “Apprised him on the progress of the construction of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and invited him to visit Meghalaya and give an audience to all members of our legislative assembly,” the chief minister tweeted.

    A CMO statement said the chief minister and his colleagues also sought support and cooperation from the Centre for completion of the Assembly building by 2022.

    During the day, the chief minister also called on several Union Ministers.

    He called on Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and sough financial support from the Centre for improvement of New Shillong Township including the development of roads and other infrastructure.

    The chief minister also requested the Union Ministry’s support for the development of the aspiring Williamnagar Water Supply Scheme, the statement said.

    In a meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the chief minister intimated him regarding the implementation and progress of the ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission project in Meghalaya.

    The CM also sought the ministry’s support for the state government’s proposed initiative to rejuvenate Wah Umkhrah and Umshyrpi river.

    The CMO statement said, “the Union Minister spoke in support of the state government’s plans and instructed officials present in the meeting to ensure that the projects see the light of day.”

    Snagma also called on Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and apprised him of the ongoing construction of different sports infrastructure in the state.

    He sought the Ministry’s support to organize the proposed North East Youth Festival 2022 in Shillong, to commemorate the 50th year of Meghalaya’s statehood.