Chief Minister Conrad Sangma reassured the citizens of Meghalaya that no places of worship will be relocated as part of the redevelopment and urban master plan for Shillong city. Sangma made this statement in a social media post, emphasizing that no decision has been taken to move any place of worship. Addressing concerns over the redevelopment initiatives, Sangma affirmed that any decisions made by the government will involve thorough consultation with stakeholders. Shillong, identified as one of the 100 cities by the Centre for development as a smart city, has seen progress under the Smart City project.
The Centre contributes 90 percent of the funding for Smart City projects in the 13 Himalayan states and North Eastern states. In Shillong, four projects have been completed, while work on 17 others is ongoing as of December 2023.
Among the ongoing projects, the development and construction of Polo Market Junction near Majestic Hotel, estimated at Rs 40.82 crore, remains incomplete. Other projects include mechanized multi-level car parks near the Additional Secretariat (Rs 6.5 crore) and Polo Commercial Complex (Rs 36.5 crore), as well as at Mawkhar (Rs 20.30 crore) and Motphran (Rs 12.50 crore). Additionally, initiatives such as Smart Roads Phase-II (10Kms), beautification of twelve junctions in Shillong (Rs 134.50 crore), grid-connected rooftop solar photo-voltaic systems (Rs 26.75 crore), and rainwater harvesting systems (Rs 23.65 crore) are also underway.