Meghalaya CM chairs 2nd cabinet retreat, calls for unified vision across departments

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 26, 2025

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said Meghalaya may be the only state in India to hold a cabinet retreat—an exercise that brings together political leaders, senior bureaucrats, and grassroots officials under one roof.

Speaking at the inauguration of the second cabinet retreat in Shillong, Sangma recalled the first retreat held in Sohra, noting that feedback from participants revealed that busy schedules often limited meaningful dialogue. This prompted the inclusion of a wider group of stakeholders in the present retreat.

“We’re always in meetings, too busy to share inputs,” he said. “That’s when I realised, we need to go deeper, meeting like this with all of you.”

The Chief Minister said the retreat reflects the state’s commitment to collaborative governance, citizen welfare, and strategic development. His address focused on aligning every department with the government’s vision, ensuring last-mile delivery, and strengthening interdepartmental coordination for greater impact.

On healthcare, Sangma informed that academic sessions at Shillong Medical College are expected to begin in October 2025, pending approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC).

He also highlighted the importance of CM CONNECT, which uses Village Data Volunteers (VDVs) to strengthen grievance redressal and service delivery. Integrated with the Meghalaya One portal, CM CONNECT currently facilitates hearings and registrations across seven blocks through a toll-free helpline (1971).

Touching on youth empowerment, Sangma reiterated investment in employment, entrepreneurship, and sports infrastructure through initiatives like CM Elevate and PRIME. He stressed the need for play-based pedagogy in Classes 1 and 2, similar to Anganwadi centres, to enhance early learning.

The retreat opened with the Department of Planning, Investment Promotion & Sustainable Development presenting an Action Taken Report on the resolutions of the first retreat. Out of 107 action plans, 27 have been completed, 72 are in progress, and the remainder will be reviewed within 2–3 months.

Meghalaya’s push for digital transformation was underlined through the Meghalaya One portal, now with over 7,000 users and a dashboard for real-time issue tracking. Discussions also centred on DC CONNECT and finalising Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) under Mission 10, reaffirming Meghalaya’s commitment to data-driven governance.

Chief Secretary Donald Philips Wahlang described the retreat as “the only forum in the country” where the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, and Block Development Officers share the same table, urging that such exercises be institutionalised.

During the sessions, Sangma and his Cabinet colleagues launched the HDLP Joint Field Visit Guide.

The Department of Social Welfare introduced the Human Development Leadership Programme (HDLP), a weekly initiative where block teams from Health, Social Welfare, Education, and Community & Rural Development visit communities to address grassroots issues together.

Technical sessions explored thematic priorities:

• Social Welfare, Health, C&RD, and Education departments showcased integrated work in nutrition, early childhood development, and life planning.
• Health & Family Welfare outlined reforms to improve healthcare access and quality.
• Planning & Sustainable Development reviewed progress on SDGs and convergence strategies.
• Finance and Planning addressed scheme approvals, liabilities, and sanctioning.
• Personnel and Administrative Reforms focused on talent recruitment, regularisation of contractual staff, and capacity building.
• Public Works, IT, Housing, and Urban Affairs highlighted progress in rural connectivity, digital infrastructure, and affordable housing.

The retreat concluded with a shared call to “own the vision” of Meghalaya’s development strategy, ensuring that governance remains inclusive, participatory, and results-driven.