Meghalaya govt to rename Dikkibandi stadium after P A Sangma

The Meghalaya Cabinet has decided to rename the Dikkibandi stadium in Tura town after former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma.

The state Cabinet meeting Friday presided over by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma approved the recommendations received from the state naming authority tasked with the job to name roads, and institutions after personalities, Home Minister James K Sanga told reporters.

The Home minister said the Dikkibandi Stadium (formerly known as MP stadium) and a junction leading to AMPT road in Tura have been renamed after P A Sangma.

Purno A Sangma is also a former chief minister of Meghalaya. He was elected from the Tura Lok Sabha seat a number of times. Conrad K Sangma and James K Sangma are sons of Purno A Sangma.

He said the name MP stadium was not official and it was only in 2014 that the state government had renamed the stadium as Dikkibandi stadium.

"There was a popular demand going to the fact that majority of the money spent on the construction of the stadium was initiated by PA Sangma during his tenure as Tura MP. Today the state government has decided to honour the contribution that he (PA Sangma) made towards the construction of that stadium," he said.

The state Cabinet has also decided to name a road leading from Mawlai-Mawroh to Madan in honour of Saint Teressa.

Two roads under Greater Laban area in the city have also been renamed after two former MLAs. Howel Road was renamed Thranghok J Rangad Road while Zikzak Road was renamed as Ardendu Chaudhuri road.

The Batti Bazar road at Laban was also renamed as Roland Lyngdoh Road, Sylhetipara Road at Laban as Krepsing Swer Road and Jackson Trace Road at Lower Lumparing as Melington Kharkongor Road, the Home minister said.