The Meghalaya Cabinet held its first-ever outdoor meeting at Ward’s Lake, with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma calling the session a symbolic and timely gesture as the state enters the festive season. The meeting, which lasted nearly four hours, cleared 16 agenda items, including the crucial approval to purchase land required for the long-delayed runway expansion of Shillong Airport.
Sangma told reporters that the decision to hold the Cabinet meeting at Ward’s Lake, a popular cultural hub, was deliberate, tying it to an ongoing sequence of events that began with the Japanese Arena during the Cherry Blossom Festival, continued into the Shillong Literary Fest, and will extend to more cultural programmes in the coming weeks. “As we approach the Christmas and New Year season, it was appropriate to hold the Cabinet meeting here to experience the festival atmosphere and involve the Cabinet in the celebrations,” he said.
Describing the session as a “very special Cabinet meeting”, Sangma said its duration reflected the importance of the agenda before the government. “The meeting lasted almost four hours,” he noted.
Among the key decisions was the approval to purchase the land required for a long-pending land exchange with defence authorities, a bottleneck that has delayed the expansion of the Shillong Airport runway for years. With the clearance secured, the airport project now moves into the execution phase.
The Chief Minister said the land acquisition is vital for enabling larger aircraft to operate from Shillong. He added that the tendering process is already under way, but stressed that consultations with landowners, local communities and traditional heads would be prioritised. Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who handles the Transport portfolio, has been tasked with conducting these consultations to ensure a smooth exchange and acquisition process.
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“We are working to reach a practical compromise regarding the land exchange,” Sangma said, adding that the Cabinet’s approval specifically concerned the purchase of the land required for the runway expansion.
The Chief Minister also said he recently met officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). A key follow-up meeting scheduled for Friday is expected to address outstanding issues so that the tendering process can proceed without further delay.
According to Sangma, the AAI aims to appoint a contractor by the end of this year. Once the contract is awarded, the runway extension and related construction work are expected to take approximately 15 months, with completion likely by March 2027.
He also acknowledged technical concerns raised by the DGCA regarding landing areas and other safety parameters, noting that these issues will be addressed during the upcoming discussions. “The state government is actively working to resolve them,” he said.
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