SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, has approved a sweeping set of administrative, infrastructural, and fiscal reforms aimed at improving public services, boosting revenue, and expanding educational support across the state.
Key decisions include:
Integrated Public Transport: Creation of the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Society to unify ticketing for buses, taxis, and helicopters, and to operate a mobile booking app for residents and tourists.
Civil Aviation Wing: Establishment of a dedicated Civil Aviation unit to oversee airport expansion, heliport construction, and helicopter tourism.
Dam Safety Organization: Formation of an independent body to enforce dam safety SOPs, addressing potential conflicts of interest in current oversight.
Regularization & Advisory Appointments: One-time regularization of 11 lady supervisors in Social Welfare (per Supreme Court order), and appointment of retired officials as consultants for externally aided projects, without affecting junior officer promotions.
Excise and Taxation Reform: Consolidation of VAT and excise duty into a single ad valorem tax under the Excise Department, and an upward revision of excise rates to align with neighboring states, expected to generate an additional Rs 150 crore annually.
Film Tourism Policy: Revised criteria for incentive grants—regional films must be released in at least 100 theaters or on national OTT platforms, and content may now be listed on multiple platforms if also hosted on ‘Hello Meghalaya’ and dubbed in Khasi and Garo.
Support for Retired Judges: Merging of multiple allowances into a single lump-sum payment for retired judicial officers.
Education Grants: Launch of the “CM Impact Plus” grant-in-aid scheme to strengthen 1,900 secondary and higher secondary schools, with funding based on school performance.
Retirement Age Standardization: Uniform retirement age of 60 for regular casual, casual, and muster roll workers, resolving previous discrepancies.
The Cabinet’s decisions aim to modernize state infrastructure, promote efficiency, and ensure fairer support for workers, educators, and filmmakers, while enhancing administrative transparency and fiscal health.
(4FrontMedia news)
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