A CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday chaired the conference of Deputy Commissioners and Sub-Divisional Officers of the State at the State Convention Centre, Shillong.
Similarly, he also chaired the conference of Superintendents of Police and Commandants of the Police department that was held at Police Headquarters, Shillong.
Addressing the conference of the Deputy Commissioners at the State Convention Centre, the Chief Minister said that though the State Government has been engaging periodically with the Deputy Commissioners on a regular basis on a virtual mode, this was the first physical meeting post COVID.
"This meeting is very crucial because you are working directly with the people and at the grass roots level and have the capacity to make a difference in their lives," the Chief Minister said in his opening remarks.
Sangma also said that it is satisfying to see that the districts and the State as a whole are moving ahead, but there are issues and challenges that are more specific to certain districts and areas.
"This conference is to share and learn from each other and this is also a platform where you can give important suggestions," he added.
The conference discussed at length on the implementation of both the State and Central schemes and programmes and ways and measures to improve the delivery mechanism by bringing changes and flexibility in policies and by utilizing technology to improve delivery mechanism at the grassroots level.
The conference of the Deputy Commissioners also discussed elaborately the disaster management issues following the recent flood situation and heavy rainfall in the State.
"While discussing the casualties and damage to agriculture and infrastructure it is also very important to discuss our preparedness for such calamities in future and take long and short-term measures to mitigate the damages caused by such natural disasters," Sangma said.
The meeting also discussed the improvement of infrastructure in public sector services like schools, police stations and health care centres. It was also decided that 1,800 government LP schools would be repaired and renovated by a decentralized approach where the DRDA along with the District Level Committee with education officers will ensure that the improvement and renovation works in these schools, which will also include water supply, electricity and furniture. Similar models of improvement were also adopted for PHCs, CHCs and police stations.
"These kinds of repair works had to go through the different departments of the Government that led to a lot of delay in different renovation works. So now the districts will take up the repair works at the district level in a decentralized manner which will ensure faster repair works," he added.
The Police Infrastructure Renovation Fund conceptualized by the Government is also being rolled out.
The Chief Minister also launched the National Generic Document Registration System, Chief Minister's Social Assistance Scheme for the PwDs, Online Submission of Annual Property Returns, Online Citizen Centric Service for Ration Card and Online Booking of Tickets for MTC Buses during the conference.
Later at the conference of Superintendents of Police, it was decided that 76 police stations across the State would get new vehicles.
"The police stations not only perform the duty of enforcing law and order but they are also the first point of contact for the public and are also involved in additional activities in times of emergencies," he said.
He also said that all the police stations would be strengthened with computers and IT set ups and cranes and ambulances would be given to high traffic zones and accident-prone areas. To control traffic and monitor traffic movements especially in East Khasi Hills, an additional 60 new motorcycles would be provided. The SPs conference also decided to take up accommodation for police personnel in a phased manner and to initiate the Chief Minister's Police Medal and the Chief Minister's Disaster Response recognition medals to boost the morale of the police personnel and to show the appreciation of the State Government.
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