The state cabinet sat on Tuesday and took several decisions
Former Chief Secretary PS Thangkhiew will be the new Chairman of the Meghalaya Farmers’ Empowerment Commission. The post had remained vacant following the resignation of the previous Chairman for personal reasons. A dedicated committee had been constituted to identify a suitable candidate and Thangkhiew’s name was recommended.
The cabinet approved enhanced post-retirement benefits for retired judges of the Meghalaya High Court. Following representations made by both current and former judges, retired judges will now be entitled to 1,000 units of reimbursed electricity per month, 100 litres of fuel and Rs 4,200 per month (plus taxes) for phone and internet expenses. These are in addition to the secretarial assistance and other existing benefits they receive. However, these perks will cease when judges are assigned specific roles, such as heading commissions.
Four years after Eastern West Khasi Hills was created as Meghalaya’s 12th district, the cabinet has given its nod to an amendment to the Meghalaya State Language Act 2005 in order to recognise Khasi as an association official language of the district. This ensures that all district-level communications and competitive examinations can be conducted in the Khasi language.
The cabinet approved a revision in the sitting allowances for members of the search committee tasked with recommending names for the Chairperson and Members of the Lokayukta. The allowance for committee members has been doubled from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 and for the Chairperson from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 per sitting. The committee includes the Deputy Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Speaker and Chief Justice. The government has requested the committee to complete the selection process in 30 to 45 days.
In line with the implementation of the new criminal laws to replace those carried over from the colonial era, the cabinet approved the Meghalaya Witness Protection Scheme 2025, which is designed to provide comprehensive protection mechanisms for witnesses in legal cases, including anonymity, physical security and the ability to record testimony via video conferencing. The District Magistrates will lead the committees responsible for implementing protection measures based on threat perception and necessity.
Amendments were also approved for the Meghalaya Housing Engineering and Technical Service Rules 2017. These changes were made to incorporate newly created posts within the Housing Department, ensuring that all new categories of employees are covered under the existing service rules.
