Meghalaya CM seeks Delhi road named after father Purno Sangma

GUWAHATI

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has requested the Centre to name a road in New Delhi after his father, the late Purno Agitok Sangma, as a tribute to “one of India’s tallest leaders and statesmen”.

The Chief Minister placed the request during his meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Friday (September 5, 2025).

The senior Sangma, who switched from Congress to other parties before forming the National People’s Party, was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1996 to 1998. He was also a Union Minister and the Chief Minister of Meghalaya.

Taking to the social media site X, Mr Sangma indicated the Centre could weigh the possibility of naming a road in the national capital after his father. On May 1, the Centre named a road in New Delhi after Upendranath Brahma, a legendary Bodo leader, on his 35th death anniversary.

Mr. Sangma also listed a few Meghalaya-related issues discussed with Mr Shah. They included the creation of a separate IAS and IPS cadre for Meghalaya (currently, a joint cadre with Assam) to ensure better administrative autonomy, the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, and the implementation of the inner-line permit (ILP) in Meghalaya to safeguard the interests and identities of the indigenous communities.

The British-era document that allows Indians limited travel in the frontier northeastern States, the ILP is currently applicable in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland. Pressure groups in Meghalaya have been demanding ILP for the State for a long time. EOM