Shillong, July 20: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday said the demand for winter capital is to get an administration that is closer and the decision to set up the mini secretariat at Tura, West Garo Hills District is a step towards it.

Sangma said he would be meeting the ACHIK group, which is staging an indefinite hunger strike demanding for a backlog policy and winter capital at Tura, during his next visit to Garo Hills.

He said that the government is monitoring the situation very closely and has ensured the presence of an additional deputy commissioner, other officials and doctors at the protest venue at all times.

Regarding the demand for winter capital, Sangma said that the issue of development has always been important for the MDA government.

“If you look at Tura, now we are just starting the mini secretariat. Now the mini secretariat is a very big step and most of the organizations understand the impact of that and I am sure when I sit with the ACHIK group also that we will be able to explain to them the impact of a mini secretariat,” he said.

He informed that there will be large investments as well as large administrative reforms taking place at Tura. “Hence (with the setting up of the mini secretariat), we will see overall improvement in the delivery of our schemes and the presence of administration in a much stronger manner in the coming days and coming years,” he said.

Stating that the Governor’s House in Tura is on the verge of completion, Sangma said, “We expect that within a few months or within this calendar year, which is by December, I am sure we will be able to make that functional.”

He said apart from that, the government is also strengthening many departments to ensure overall improvement in administration. “The process is on and the ultimate goal is to always ensure that development reaches the people and overall administration gets closer to the people and whatever ways and means we can find out to do that, the government is exploring and implementing,” he added.

When asked if the mini secretariat would address the demand for winter capital, Sangma said, “The demand is actually to get an administration that is closer and this is a step towards it. Of course, there is a lot more to be done as lots of aspects are there but everything cannot be done in one go but what is important to note is that very strong efforts have been made by the government to do that.”

With regards to the roster system, the chief minister said that the government had already taken a decision after consultation with all stakeholders. He said the decision was also communicated to everybody including the ACHIK group, who were also present during the meeting.

“They (ACHIK) raised concerns of course but we clarified those concerns in the meeting and only after that meeting, after taking consensus from most people, we went ahead with the OM and hence for us to go back and look into it would be very difficult,” he stated.

Also read: Manipur: Over 10,000 people brave rain to take part in rally for separate administration

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