Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today unveiled the architectural design of the new additional Secretariat, which will be built at a cost of Rs 150-plus crore in Tura.
The scale of the project has grown from a ‘mini Secretariat’ with a limited number of departmental offices to an ‘additional Secretariat’ that will include all state government departments. The original design was pegged at a cost of Rs 30 crore but that will now increase by five times the budget.
“People from Garo Hills have to travel to Shillong for different official works. The purpose of Tura Secretariat will be to ensure that people from Garo Hills can easily get their official paperwork submitted for further processing at Tura itself,” Sangma explained.
He also informed that the Tura Convention Centre will be adjacent to the Tura Secretariat, as displayed in the architectural 3D drawings. The first phase of the Tura Secretariat will be completed by January 2027.
The architectural plans involve several purely aesthetic choices in design, including a large water feature, wide roofs and other features.
TURA MEDICAL COLLEGE
The CM also felt the need to address the issue of Tura Medical College. The government has come under attack from the opposition regarding the plan to involve a private party in the running of the medical college.
The fear is that the college will be run for profit and that will result in higher fees, fewer places for local students and contractual, instead of permanent, teaching positions. Speaking in Williamnagar today, Sangma did not add to what he had said in Mendipathar yesterday, namely that the state will have a fixed quota of students, for whom fees will be set with the approval of the government; that the cost of treatment at the hospital attached to the college will be according to prescribed government rates; and that the physical assets will remain the property of the state government.
He explained that, unlike in Shillong, where there are sufficient numbers of medical professionals to engage as teachers for the under construction Shillong Medical College, Tura lacks enough trained professionals and that is one reason for the need for a private partner.
Sangma also informed that the Shillong Medical College is set to operationlise from this academic session, while Tura Medical College will begin next year.
BLACKLIST WARNING
The CM also inspected the ongoing construction of a bridge over Dama Chiring at Masa Akong (also known as Cinema Hall) in Williamnagar today. The inspection followed a complaint raised by cabinet minister Marcuise Marak over delays in the construction.
During the inspection, Sangma warned the construction firm to expedite the work, directing them to submit daily progress reports. Failure to meet the deadline would result in the firm being blacklisted and banned from working further in the state.
SMARTPHONES DISTRIBUTION
Smartphones for Anganwadi workers were also distributed by the CM at a programme held at St George Higher Secondary School in Samanda, East Garo Hills.
The event was attended by Anganwadi workers from the district. Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh and fellow cabinet minister Marcuise Marak were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Sangma said the smartphones, paid for by the central government, would enhance the performance and services of Anganwadi workers. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development had sanctioned Rs 6 crore for the purchase of 6,162 smartphones for the workers.
The POSHAN app has been installed on the smartphones, which the Anganwadi workers will use to record data and information and perform other reporting tasks. The application digitises the physical registers used by Anganwadi workers. Sangma also informed that Anganwadi workers will be incentivised to regularly monitor the growth of children up to 6 years by measuring their height and weight and uploading the data to the POSHAN Tracker.
During the event, the CM also distributed IIT Innovation ECO H2O Filters to Anganwadi centres, aiming to provide safe drinking water to children in rural communities. He also inaugurated the new building of St George HSS, dedicating it to the students and expressing hope that it would inspire learning, creativity and growth. The school students also received MTabs during the programme.
