Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 161/10

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUGS AND AIDS

Shillong, April 21, 2010: With the objective of creating awareness in combating the evils of Drugs and AIDS, the office of Deputy Commissioner, Jaintia Hills District, Jowai will organise an awareness campaign against Drugs and Aids in which a Concert featuring world renowned and Austria’s greatest Jazz Musician Harri Staojka and his team will be held on April 26, 2010 at the District Library Auditorium, Jowai from 6:00PM onwards.

Press Release No. 162/10

DR. MUKUL SANGMA CHIEF MINISTER ADDRESSING THE MEDIA

Shillong, April 21, 2010: “I am humbled that I have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading Meghalaya at an important moment in our history, we live in a time when the growth of our country, India, is the envy of the world. Our Meghalaya must participate in this growth. We must contribute to it. And we must benefit from it – growth alone will lift our people out of poverty – Growth will bring jobs. Growth will bring education. Growth will bring better health. Above all, growth will bring hope.

The only thing constant in life is change and change we must. It is a time of great change, a change that holds within it, the dream of happiness. Nothing in the world was ever achieved without change. Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of Nation said “Be the change you wish to see”. I urge all of you today to be ready to change for a better life and a brighter future for every Maghalayan. Our beloved leader, Shri Rajiv Gandhi had once said: “India is an old country, but a young nation’ and like the young everywhere, we are impatient. I am young and I too have a dream. I dream of an India, strong, independent, self reliant and in the forefront of the front ranks of the nations of the world in the service of mankind”.

Well, like India, Meghalaya too is young. And Meghalaya too is impatient. For too long the talented young men and women of our state have been denied the opportunity to play the role in the development of their country. This must change. And change quickly. My government will give top priority to ensure that our youth get the best education, the best training, and our equipped with the best skills. In the world who’s future is being shaped with knowledge and with technology, our young men and women need to be equipped with all the tools of the modern world to enable them to compete and prosper. For a long time, the poor have been the poor. They do not deserve it any longer. It is our responsibility, indeed, my responsibility, to make real and concrete efforts to improve the lives of the poor. We will seek development in all spheres, but must of all for the people who have been deprived of it.

This government will focus on the poor and underprivileged, old and needy, women and children, small and marginal farmers and the BPL workers. This is the direction given by our dynamic and caring leader Hon’ble Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi. Our government at the Centre has initiated several schemes to benefit the poor people of India. We must ensure that nothing comes in the way of their implementation in our state. We must ensure effective delivery, we must measure the results of our efforts and we must plug the leaks that rob the poor of their just entitlement.

Economic growth comes from investing in the engines of economic growth – Jawahar Lal Nehru called them the temples of modern India. We must build more roads, more factories, more power plants, more schools, more hospitals and more hotels – all with sensitivity to the environment. It is with these investments that we will realize the true potential of our state and of our people. I have seen in my long experience as a legislator and a Minister and thereafter as Deputy Chief Minister that may times one government department does not coordinate with the other. This leads us to a situation where you are working towards the same goals, but charting your own course. It will be my sincere effort to forge more cooperation and to synchronize all efforts of all the State Government wings so that we maximize not only on ensuring the timelines, but also on achieving our goals. To those who are in the position of responsibility, I have to say that they have to encourage and ensure transparency, responsiveness, sensitivity in work, courage of conviction, tolerance of the other’s view point, and display a mature understanding as they lead the people in their roles.

We have many goals and may ambitions. However, our goals can only be achieved if we work with a sense of purpose, and in a spirit of unity. We cannot afford to remain divided by small identities and petty rivalries. We must resolve that we will work together and not let the ‘past’ come in between our shared goal of giving Meghalaya a golden future. It will be a serious challenge before us to move towards our objectives. To overcome the challenges my friends, you and I need to be partners in this endeavour. We have to hold each other’s hands and move together to the sunshine that we promise ourselves. I can assure you that when we move together, the journey will be easier, the hurdles in our way will be overcome and we will be easier, the hurdles in our way will be overcome and we will have the satisfaction of not only realizing our goals, but also working together happily. It is important that we do share a common dream and the people and government work together to fulfill it. Let us take the first step in this journey today.

I share the concern with all of you with utmost sincerity, the need to ensure stability. This can be achieved only if we share common objective of serving the people in the truest sense of the term and sense of commitment, dedication and most importantly sense of sacrifice. The new initiatives, new directions as part of our vision for change are bound to have hurdles and challenges. It is not going to be easy. But where there is a will there is a way. We will find a way together. Together we can achieve the common goal which we so sincerely desire. The young and the old, men and women, the haves and the have-nots together we can, if we synchronize our effort, can achieve these objectives. Today, we commit ourselves to the service of Meghalaya, rededicated ourselves to the people of this great State”.