Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 140/10

GOVERNOR INAUGURATES 3-DAY WORKSHOP AT TURA

Shillong, April 8, 2010: The Governor of Meghalaya, Mr. RS Mooshahary has said that the most important culture that we need to develop at the moment is “work culture” and “agriculture” if we have to upgrade capacity building and promote self-sufficiency and also stressed the need to create responsiveness, accountability and transparency to achieve good governance in the region.

He was delivering the inaugural address as the chief guest at the three-day workshop on “Sixty Years of North East: Revisiting the Experience” under the theme “The Green Hills of our Forefathers: Revisiting the Vision” at the District Auditorium, Tura, on April 8, 2010.

This workshop-II, which is the first of its kind in Garo Hills, is being organized at Tura by Divya Jeevan Foundation as part of its mega project, ‘Project Resurgent India’ covering the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya, while the Workshop-I, organized at Shillong on November, 2009 last, covered Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The three-day workshop will conclude with a meeting of the think-tank members, experts, observers and the Garo scholars on Saturday.

Dwelling on the socio-political, economic and cultural issues affecting the State, the Governor wondered that the green hills that were handed over to us by our forefathers at what stage or condition would we be handing them to our children. “If we have not been able to develop in spite of having institutions at the grass roots level… what can be the reason?” he asked, and underscored the need to have attitude, aptitude and responsiveness to bring about change and development.

Delivering the key-note address at the inaugural programme, the Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Ms Agatha K Sangma observed that the effects of climate change always had a direct effect on the indigenous people first and highlighted the problems of illegal timber logging, unscientific mining, etc in the Garo Hills. She expressed hope that each participant would contribute and take back something from the workshop for overall improvement in the system.

The workshop is being attended by some eminent constitutional experts, scholars and social activists from across the country, like former Secretary General of Lok Sabha Dr. Subhash Kashyap, former Vice Chancellor, Assam University, Prof. J B Bhattacharjee, Mr. Rangan Dutta, IAS retd., Vice Chancellor, MLCU, Shillong Dr. Glen Kharkongor, besides presenters from Garo Hills, who are presenting the visions, thoughts and actions of some vision leaders from the region.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Foundation and former Member of Parliament Dr. B B Dutta gave the introductory address on the theme and sub-theme of the workshop, as well as its aims and objectives, while Workshop Director and former MBOSE Secretary, Mr. I K Sangma welcomed the gathering.