Shillong, Sep 9 – Agatha Sangma, former Union Minister and senior National People’s Party (NPP) leader, has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR). The State Cabinet approved her appointment during a meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence on Friday. This decision follows her loss in the 2024 Tura Lok Sabha elections to Congress’ Saleng Sangma.
An official notification is pending. Meanwhile, James Sangma, the Chief Minister’s elder brother and former Home Minister, congratulated Agatha on social media, stating, “I extend my warmest congratulations to my dear sister, Smt. Agatha K. Sangma, on her appointment as the Chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.”
In contrast, the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has expressed concerns about the appointment, labeling it as indicative of political favoritism. KHNAM’s working president, Thomas Passah, criticized the move as part of a broader trend of political appointments and misuse of public funds. “This appointment appears to be an extension of the MDA Government’s strategy to maintain political control,” Passah said.
The MSCPCR has been without a chairperson since the end of Iamonlang M Syiem’s term in February. The commission, established in 2014, plays a vital role in monitoring the implementation of laws such as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
