Shillong, August 26 : The Government of Meghalaya convened its second Cabinet Retreat in Shillong today, chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, bringing together Cabinet Ministers, senior officials, and grassroots functionaries to review progress, strengthen coordination, and chart the State’s roadmap for inclusive development .
Reflecting on the inaugural Cabinet Retreat held in Sohra, the Chief Minister noted feedback that busy schedules often limit meaningful discussions. This year’s format included a wider group of participants to encourage deeper exchange. “We realised the need to go deeper, to meet like this with all of you — from ministers to grassroots implementers,” Sangma said .
The Department of Planning presented the Action Taken Report on resolutions from the first retreat: of 107 action plans, 27 have been closed, 72 are in progress, and the rest under review. The Meghalaya One Portal, now serving over 7,000 users, was highlighted for its digital dashboards enabling real-time issue tracking, making Meghalaya one of India’s most digitally enabled states .
The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of CM CONNECT and Village Data Volunteers (VDVs) in grievance redressal and public service delivery. CM CONNECT, integrated into the Meghalaya One platform, already facilitates hearings across seven blocks, supported by a 1971 toll-free helpline .
In technical sessions, Sangma underlined the need for investment in youth-focused infrastructure for sports, education, and employment. He also recommended play-based pedagogy for Class 1 and 2, similar to Anganwadi centres, and cited initiatives such as PRIME and CM Elevate to generate opportunities for the next decade’s workforce .
A new Joint Field Visit Guide was launched under the Human Development Leadership Programme (HDLP), aimed at fostering cross-departmental outreach in health, education, social welfare, and community development. Weekly visits by block-level teams will strengthen delivery of services at the grassroots .
The retreat included thematic discussions on:
- Caring and Empowering State: Nutrition, early childhood care, holistic life planning.
- Affordable & Quality Healthcare: Reforms to improve access and service delivery.
- Priority SDGs: Assessing progress and convergence strategies.
- Finance & Planning: Approvals, liability management, sanctioning processes.
- HR & Governance: Talent acquisition, regularisation of contractual staff, capacity building.
- Infrastructure & Services: Roads, digital connectivity, housing, and citizen welfare schemes .
The Chief Minister also mentioned that the government is awaiting approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC) to start academic sessions at the Shillong Medical College from October 2025 .
Chief Secretary Donald Philips Wahlang described the retreat as the only forum of its kind in India where the Chief Minister, Cabinet, senior officers, and grassroots leaders deliberate together in one room. He recommended such forums be continued regularly for stronger outcomes .
Cabinet members present included Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh, Paul Lyngdoh, AL Hek, Shakliar Warjri, Comingone Ymbon, and Kyrmen Shylla .
