Meghalaya cabinet clears land acquisition for New Shillong, resolves Group D recruitment row

The Meghalaya Cabinet on November 14 approved a series of key decisions, including the acquisition of 35 acres of land in New Shillong Township, amendments to the rules governing Group D recruitment, and a revision of the state’s fiscal deficit ceiling. 

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the newly approved land at Tynring will serve as a crucial corridor linking the Administrative City and the Knowledge City within New Shillong, while also facilitating the proposed relocation of the Central Jail. 

He said the expansion is essential to ensure seamless connectivity as the government continues to develop the new township.

The cabinet also resolved a long-standing ambiguity in recruitment norms for Group D staff by approving an amendment to Rule 6 of the Meghalaya Ministerial District Establishment Service Rules, 2017. 

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For decades, two contradictory office memorandums—issued in 1996 and 2017—had left uncertainty over whether half of all Group D vacancies should be filled through Regular Casual Workers or via direct recruitment. Sangma said the government has decided to follow the 1996 memorandum, making it clear that 50 per cent of the vacancies will now be reserved for Regular Casual Workers.

In another major decision, the cabinet approved amendments to the Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2006, raising the state’s fiscal deficit limit from 3 per cent to 3.5 per cent of GSDP. 

The chief minister said this will create additional borrowing space for the state and help finance developmental projects. 

The cabinet also approved the reappointment of Justice Shivaji Pandey as President of the Meghalaya State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and cleared the Service Rules for the Commission, allowing it to constitute its own recruitment board.