Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today announced the formation of a committee to examine the long-standing demand for establishing Tura as the state’s winter capital.
Speaking to the media after the Assembly session, the CM explained that the decision to form the committee was made after extensive discussions in the House, based on a suggestion from a member regarding what the winter capital would entail.
He clarified that the proposal involves relocating the executive wing of the government, including ministers and the chief secretary, to Tura for a specific period and holding assembly sessions there.
Sangma also mentioned that the upcoming integrated administrative complex in Tura, which is worth Rs 170 crore, will serve part of this purpose by bringing government services closer to the people.
The committee will be constituted with the involvement of all party leaders, as well as various stakeholders. There will be extensive consultations with the community, different NGOs and organisations to determine the best way forward.
During today’s session, leader of the opposition Dr Mukul Sangma introduced a resolution advocating for the winter capital.
In presenting the resolution, Dr Sangma argued that if cabinet meetings can be held in various parts of the state, as has been the recent policy of the government, it should not be difficult to designate Tura as the winter capital. He highlighted the initiatives launched by successive state governments aimed at fostering closer connections between the people and the government, which have contributed to the state’s progress and prosperity.
Several civil society organisations and pressure groups in Garo Hills have collectively expressed their support for this long-standing demand to establish a winter capital in Tura and have carried out public meetings in its favour of late to put pressure on the government.
However, the resolution did not receive support from members of the House, including from MLAs from Garo Hills. As a result, Dr Sangma withdrew the resolution.
One of the groups pushing for the winter capital is the A·chik State People’s Front, which today condemned legislators from Garo Hills for not advocating more strongly – if at all – for the demand during the ongoing budget session of the Assembly.
It said that having Tura as the winter capital would fulfill a demand and a promise from the time Meghalaya was formed more than 50 years ago and make it easier for people from Garo Hills to access the halls of power instead of having to travel all the way to Shillong.
