Shillong: Swapnil Tembe chose to mark Holi this year not with colours in the streets, but with paintbrush in hand at a remote village in Meghalaya.
The IAS officer, who serves as Secretary of the Finance Department, travelled to Myrkhan village to help paint the newly constructed house of a beneficiary under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
He was joined by his mother, friends and colleagues, transforming the festival into an act of service for the family.
Sharing the moment on social media, Tembe said he visited the village on the occasion of Holi 2026 to paint the home of a PMAY beneficiary, extending greetings for the festival.
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Instead of traditional celebrations, the group spent the day coating the walls of the new house in bright colours, bringing both vibrancy and a renewed sense of dignity to the beneficiary’s home.
The gesture symbolised community participation and support, reflecting how government welfare schemes can be strengthened through individual involvement.
PMAY has completed more than 23,600 housing units in Meghalaya, as part of efforts to provide affordable and secure housing to families across the state.
Tembe’s initiative highlighted not just the physical completion of a house, but the shared responsibility in ensuring that such schemes translate into meaningful change on the ground.
