Shillong: Information and Public Relations Minister Lahkmen Rymbui wants a 24-hour cell inside the Department of Information and Public Relations. He pitched the plan Friday at the DIPR Conclave 2026 in Shillong. The goal is to kill misinformation before it spreads.
Government departments work set office hours. Social media never sleeps. Rymbui says this mismatch leaves the state vulnerable to false claims. "The time has come that we have to think beyond," Rymbui said. The state needs to verify facts and hit back at rumors in real time.
Rymbui also blamed poor coordination for current delays. Information does not flow between departments and the DIPR fast enough. He wants Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to call a meeting with all department heads. They need to fix the bottleneck and align their strategy against fake news.
Updated at 10th October 2026 at 6:00pm
The conclave, held at the State Guest House under the theme Strengthening DIPR: Building a Responsive, Connected and Future-Ready Information Service, brought together officials and media reps to iron out communication gaps. Participants broke down issues across five sessions, ranging from newsroom integration to digital outreach and building up the department's institutional muscle.
Vijay Mantri, Commissioner and Secretary of the department, pushed for stronger reliance on credible media. He flagged existing state efforts to support the industry, such as the Journalist Welfare Scheme 2024 and pension plans for retired reporters. Meanwhile, media representatives from the Shillong Press Club and the Meghalaya Editors and Publishers Association pressed the department for a centralized portal for government releases, regular press briefings, and training for reporters working in remote corners of the state.
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