The state cabinet today deliberated on 10 agenda items, including routine amendments, financial provisions, administrative appointments and implementation changes for key government programs during a cabinet meeting held here.
The cabinet approved amendments to four service rules, addressing the long-standing issue of departmental promotions. The revised rules include the Meghalaya Accounts Service Rules 1996, Meghalaya Local Fund Audit Service Rules 1996, Rule 5 of the Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission Rules 2003 and Meghalaya Food and Civil Supplies Rules 2001.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that these amendments are essential to streamline promotions and ensure smooth functioning within government departments.
The selection of a new Director of Sainik Welfare, Meghalaya, was also approved. With the tenure of the current director, Col Rai, coming to an end, the selection committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, shortlisted four candidates. “Retired Col Darryl Hopkins, the senior-most among the applicants, was recommended for the post and subsequently approved by the cabinet,” added Sangma.
In a significant financial decision, the contingency fund of Meghalaya has been raised to Rs 1,000 crore through an ordinance. The increase aims to facilitate additional government expenditures beyond the allocated budget without delays. The chief minister clarified that this does not mean an influx of new funds but rather a provision to enable smoother fund allocation when required.
The cabinet also passed an ordinance to amend the Meghalaya Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act 2017, in line with the latest recommendations of the GST Council. As a routine measure, all state governments are required to update their respective GST Acts following council meetings to incorporate the latest changes.
A major administrative restructuring was also approved regarding the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen Plus) in the state. Due to manpower constraints within the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, the responsibility for implementing the program has been shifted to the Community & Rural Development (C&RD) Department. The decision aligns with the practices of other states and follows recommendations from the Union Jal Shakti Ministry. “The C&RD Department, with its strong grassroots presence, is expected to ensure more efficient execution of the mission,” said the CM.
