Tura, May 22: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday laid the foundation stones for urban infrastructure and redevelopment projects worth nearly ₹150 crore in Tura, aimed at transforming the town through improved civic amenities, commercial infrastructure, digital governance, public safety, and cultural development.

The projects include the redevelopment of Najing Bazar, construction of a multi-level parking and cinema complex at Dakopgre, and refurbishment of the SMELC building along with an Art and Culture Promenade, museum, kid zone park, CM Youth Centre, and Active Ageing Centre.

The programme was attended by the Chief Executive Member of the GHADC, MDCs, Chairman of the Tura Municipal Board J.D. Sangma, senior officials from the Department of Urban Affairs, representatives of local bodies, community leaders, artists, and residents from various localities.

During the event, the Chief Minister formally unveiled the foundation stones for the three major projects and distributed cheques to artists under the Chief Minister Artists Engagement Scheme. He also launched the Tura Municipal Board Mobile Application to improve civic service delivery and strengthen digital governance.

Certificates and mementos were awarded to winning localities under the waste management grading initiative for cleanliness efforts, while sanction letters for CCTV installations and locality-wise street lighting projects were also distributed to improve public safety and urban infrastructure.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said governance must remain citizen-centric and rooted in direct engagement with the public.

“CM Connect is an idea built around that vision — that every citizen should be able to connect directly with the Government,” he said.

Explaining the functioning of the CM Connect 1971 call centre, he stated that grievances raised by citizens are digitally recorded, forwarded to concerned departments, and monitored in real time until resolution.

“The 1971 helpline is a complaint registration and grievance redressal system. Every concern raised by citizens is recorded in the system and forwarded to the concerned officials for redressal,” he said.

The Chief Minister further announced that CM Connect Offices will be established in all 56 blocks across Meghalaya to bring government services closer to the people.

“People should not have to travel all the way to district headquarters for basic services,” he said, adding that services such as caste certificates and other citizen-related documentation would gradually become accessible through these offices and digital platforms.

Highlighting Tura’s urban transformation, Sangma said the Government has initiated several interventions over the last eight years to beautify and modernise the town.

The Najing Bazar Redevelopment Project, sanctioned at ₹60.76 crore, will transform the market into a major commercial hub featuring a basement truck parking facility for around 40 trucks, parking space for nearly 50 cars, a 70-bed hotel, a banquet hall with a capacity of about 500 people, nearly 200 shops, and expanded vendor infrastructure aimed at doubling the existing market capacity without disrupting livelihoods.

The Dakopgre Multi-Level Car Parking and Cinema Complex, costing ₹51.21 crore, will accommodate around 200 vehicles and include three cinema halls with approximately 125 seats each, along with a gaming zone and food court to improve mobility and recreational infrastructure in the town.

The refurbishment of the SMELC building, together with the proposed Art and Culture Promenade, museum spaces, kid zone park, CM Youth Centre, and Active Ageing Centre, forms another major component of the urban renewal initiative.

Speaking on the Chief Minister Artists Engagement Scheme, Sangma said the initiative seeks to create livelihood opportunities for local artists while beautifying public spaces through murals, street art, and coordinated painting projects.

“We are launching a scheme that engages local artists directly—to make public spaces beautiful through murals, street art, and coordinated painting,” he said.

On urban cleanliness, the Chief Minister said the Government’s locality grading framework is designed to institutionalise cleanliness as a civic discipline. Localities are assessed on waste segregation, dumping control, construction waste management, plastic reduction, wastewater management, community participation, and overall environmental upkeep.

To strengthen urban safety, the Government announced installation of 552 LED streetlights with smart control systems at a cost of ₹6.51 crore. The project will focus on dark stretches, markets, pedestrian corridors, and school routes.

Additionally, nearly 500 CCTV cameras linked to around 300 surveillance units will be installed across Tura and integrated with command and control systems to improve safety and response mechanisms.

Sharing performance statistics of the CM Connect initiative, the Chief Minister stated that West Garo Hills has recorded 7,644 citizen connects with 767 grievances, while across Garo Hills, 21,992 citizen connects and 2,053 grievances have been registered. Statewide, the platform has recorded 69,975 connects and 5,540 grievances.

Sangma also said the urban interventions are aligned with preparations for the National Games 2027, positioning Tura as a destination for sports, tourism, and economic activity.

He added that heritage preservation and Garo cultural identity remain central to the development strategy, including plans for the revival of the historic cenotaph in Tura as a symbol of remembrance and civic pride.

A key highlight of the programme was the CM Connect Session, during which citizens and pre-registered participants directly raised grievances and developmental concerns before the Chief Minister and officials, reinforcing the Government’s focus on participatory governance and time-bound service delivery.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by the Superintending Engineer of Urban Affairs, Tura Circle, who thanked the Chief Minister, officials, stakeholders, and citizens for their participation and support in advancing the urban transformation of Tura.