Punctual minister skips programme

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, MAY 9: State Arts and Culture Minister Ronnie V Lyngdoh today taught the officials of his department a lesson, when he left an official celebration to mark the 156^th birthday of Rabindranath Tagore due to delay in starting the function.

The function organized by the Arts and Culture department was scheduled to start at 3.30 pm.

Lyngdoh who was the chief guest arrived at the U Soso Tham auditorium 5 minutes before the stipulated time.

However, he decided to leave the hall after having to wait about 20 minutes for the preparation.

Later, Arts and Culture Director Matsiewdor War Nongbri immediately went to meet the minister at the Secretariat but he refused to give his consent to attend the function.

Expressing his disappointment, Lyngdoh told reporters that he had asked the director to pull up the erring officials for the unnecessary delay of starting such an important public function on time.

“I reached five minutes before the stipulated time despite the traffic jams. Even then I waited for 20 minutes at the hall but nothing is ready,” he said.

He said that sometimes there is a need to teach such erring officials a lesson because they cannot take things likely in this way.

Earlier on enquired by reporters, an officer of the department admitted to the mistake but said the delay was caused due to a technical problem.

Meanwhile, the function could only be started at 4.45 pm, after a delay of over one hour with ICCSR regional officer as the chief guest.

A technical problem and informed that the director had gone to meet the minister.

The Minister later also turned down the official’s request to be the chief guest for the program and had to be content with an official of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) as their chief guest.

Lyngdoh is one among the few Congress Ministers who manage his time well. School Education Minister Deborah Marak besides former Health Minister A L Hek is known for their punctuality.

Meanwhile the official 156^th celebration of Tagore’s birthday kicked off at 4:45 pm, after a delay of one hour and fifteen minutes.