SHILLONG, FEB 18: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday assured that proposal to carve out Shillong Agglomerate from East Khasi Hills as a full-fledged district will be examined against eight administrative benchmarks, as part of wider efforts to streamline urban governance.
Replying to a short-duration discussion moved by UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh, Sangma said: “…for declaring an area as a District or Sub-Division, the following criteria are taken into consideration: extent of area, population, distance from the existing headquarters, lack of education and health services, general economic backwardness, public convenience, communication, and availability of funds.”
He added that any proposal must first go to a committee headed by the Chief Secretary, with members from Home, Planning, Finance, Community and Rural Development, Personnel, Divisional Commissioners, and other departments.
“Therefore, regarding the proposal to carve out Shillong Agglomerate from East Khasi Hills District and constitute it to a full fledge district, the govt will have to scrutinise and examine the matter in detail in order to arrive at an informed decision for better governance and citizen-centric administration,” Sangma assured.
The chief minister thanked Lyngdoh “for initiating this important discussion” and said the Master Plan showed Shillong’s growth shifting beyond municipal boundaries to surrounding census towns and villages.
Projected population would rise from 354,759 in 2011 to 447,221 by 2041, underscoring the need for planned expansion.
“Unlike other cities… Shillong has a unique administrative structure,” Sangma said, noting the roles of the KHADC, Syiemship, Dorbar Shnong, and multiple government agencies.
“There is a need to coordinate the activities of various institutions so there is planned and effective development.”
He described urban agglomerations as “spatial and functional integration of urban areas” that drive economic growth, but warned that “unprecedented urban expansion places extraordinary pressure on civic administration, law enforcement, infrastructure and public services.”
