Shillong, Jan 18: The 3rd Cabinet Retreat and the first to be held in 2026 commenced at Orchid Resort, Mawkasiang, New Shillong bringing together Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Conrad K. Sangma, Cabinet Ministers, senior government officials along with District Commissioners (DCs), Block Development Officers (BDOs) and other grassroot officials highlighting the focus of community level engagement.
The theme for Day 1 of the Cabinet Retreat was on the 10 commitments under “Vision 2032” of the government of Meghalaya. In his keynote address, Shri Conrad K.Sangma, Chief Minister, Government of Meghalaya called upon the Cabinet Ministers and officials to come up with purposeful and vision-bound implementation of schemes.
He further stated, “We decided to outline 10 clear commitments for our citizens. Our commitment is to provide affordable healthcare for all and ensure joyful learning, because schools are a priority for us. Similarly, we are committed to ensuring piped drinking water for all and housing for all the eligible beneficiaries. These are the social commitments we are making so that as we move towards a USD 10 billion economy, the people of the State benefit equally”
The first day of the retreat on governance and development in Meghalaya highlighted substantial progress across key sectors, reaffirming the State’s commitment to purpose-driven governance and strong departmental alignment for holistic and inclusive development.
Technical sessions reviewed advances in public service delivery, connectivity, basic services, human capital, and livelihoods, with departments presenting updates and receiving clear directions for the next phase of implementation.
The sessions also saw valuable reflections from the ground, as BDOs and DCs representing four districts shared success stories and progress updates, showcasing measurable improvements and impactful outcomes at the grassroots level.
Key highlights included discussions on the State’s Digital Infrastructure Stack, including services delivered through Meghalaya One, CM Connect, and DC Connect. Deliberations on connectivity noted that 3,210 kilometres of roads have been developed since 2018, significantly reducing travel time under the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project and various Externally Aided Projects.
Under the commitment to Piped Drinking Water for All, Meghalaya’s progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission continues to remain above the national average. It was decided that a detailed field survey would be undertaken to identify gaps in grassroots-level water supply, while districts would strengthen local operation and maintenance models to ensure long-term sustainability.
In the power sector, the State is in the process of adding 31 new substations, with transmission losses showing a declining trend and digitised grievance redressal systems enhancing service efficiency. Plans for improving internet connectivity include the expansion of optical fibre by MeECL and the long-term exploration of satellite-based solutions for hard-to-reach areas.
Under the Housing for All initiative, performance under PMAY-G has shown significant improvement, increasing from 17,000 sanctioned houses in 2016–17 to one lakh in 2023–24, with over 80 percent of these houses already completed. In the health sector, discussions focused on strengthening Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres, constructing staff accommodation in remote locations, and digitising administrative processes to enable doctors to devote more time to patient care.
The introduction of mother’s kits for newborn care, with an annual target of 80,000 kits, is expected to further improve maternal and child health outcomes. The State reported a substantial reduction in maternal mortality and a significant increase in institutional deliveries, and reiterated its commitment to establishing high-quality schools in every district headquarters to improve access to quality education.
On nutrition and early childhood development, the Government discussed engaging women from Self-Help Groups as caregivers to strengthen service delivery, with districts such as West Jaintia Hills reporting notable progress across 440 Anganwadi Centres.
In the education and skilling sectors, the State reviewed the implementation of the Meghalaya Community-Based Rural Programme, the Meghalaya Learning Enhancement Programme, and the Meghalaya School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework, along with plans to identify 20 youth per block for targeted skills development.
The CM and the Cabinet Ministers launched three documents: Chief Minister’s Headman Fellowship for Early Childhood Development, Cluster Learning Lab handbook, and Towards Transformative Human Development from Anganwadis to Integrated Early Childhood Development Centers.
The discussions and decisions of Day 1 collectively reinforced Meghalaya’s resolve to advance a governance model that is data-driven, people-centric, and aligned across departments to deliver holistic, inclusive, and sustainable development for every citizen.
