Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 121/12

SYMPOSIUM ON GOVERNANCE HELD

“Good Governance is a very crucial factor in ensuring all round development of the State and in gaining the confidence of the people”, said the Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr Mukul Sangma today while addressing the plenary session of the Symposium on Governance which is one of the events of the Basin Development Week at Yojana Bhavan Auditorium, Main Secretariat, Shillong.

Dr Mukul Sangma said that it is important to impart information and knowledge to the people in promoting and building good governance to encourage people’s participation and to foster growth oriented and people centred inclusive governance. He also said that there is a need of a strong vigilant society to ensure transparency and accountability.

Dr Mukul also informed that the Government is in the process of implementing aggressive publicity campaigns of the schemes and programmes of the State Government which is one of the key components in sensitising and enlightening the people who are the major stakeholders. “We are going to reach out to the people at all levels and build them up as partners of the Government”, he added.

Dr Mukul also said that there is a need of a Social Audit System of all the schemes and programmes of the Government which will help to identify the loopholes and also to be able to know the impact that such schemes have on the society and their relevance. Dr Mukul also thanks the participants in the Symposium and said that their views and suggestions during the deliberations would be taken into account. He said that such symposiums will encourage in having an institutionalised system of good governance in the State.

It may be mentioned that the themes deliberated upon during the symposium were Governance for Development, Inclusive Governance for Inclusive Growth, Governance of Natural Resources, Legal Governance and Commons, Challenges for Governance, Role of the citizens in strengthening Government Anti Corruption Framework and Procurement Planning, Transparency and Competition.

Among other participants were Dr Ramesh Arora, RIPA, Jaipur, Dr Sushama Yadav, IIPA, New Delhi, Prof. M K Ramesh, NLSIU, Bangalore, Dr A K Nongkynrih, NEHU, Mr Skylance G Momin, Representative of Nokma Council, Mr H H Mohrmen and Mrs Anupama Jha, Transparency International.

Dr Mukul Sangma also launched the website of the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) and also released the IBDLP Document.