Shillong, October 21: The District Level wrap up meeting of Block Level Convergence Workshop was held today at DRDA Conference Hall, West Garo Hills District where Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills, Pravin Bakshi chaired the meeting. This meeting was in continuation with the District Level Convergence Workshop aimed to take forward the initiatives for visible convergence held earlier on 21st July, 2016 wherein all partners from the department of Agriculture, Horticulture, Fishery, Soil and Water Conservation, Sericulture and Weaving, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Forestry, PHE, Basin Development Unit Tura, Block team, etc, were selected specifically to take concrete steps to effect the initiatives of the district.
It may be mentioned that the outcome of the workshop paved the way to carry the exercise forward in six blocks of the district and the block level convergence exercise conducted in villages randomly was led by the DRDA team through concerned participation and cooperation of all partners. Further, Mr. Bakshi informed during the meeting that in order to create a holistic, cluster specific and area specific road map for visible convergence and long term sustainable development by leveraging upon MGNREGA and activities of various sectors for optimization of resources and ensuring smooth delivery mechanism from all partners and stakeholders.
While deliberating on different issues faced by the people during the block wise power point presentation, Pravin Bakshi pointed out that the common challenges faced were lack of quality education facilities and infrastructure, scarcity of drinking water facilities and high iron content especially in plain areas, depletion of ground water level, problem of sanitation, poor road connectivity, poor marketing linkages, storage problem especially for perishable goods, lack of irrigation facilities, technical know-how of improved farming practices and lack of good health services. Therefore, the Deputy Commissioner had made an earnest appeal to all officers of line departments to cooperate and extend all possible support to the people of the area.
Inspite of these challenges, the region is also endowed with vast potential for improvement in tourism sector and bountiful produce of the region such as bananas, ginger, orthodox tea, cashewnut, pineapple, aloe vera products, etc which are being exported outside the state and are in great demand, he added. Expressing his concern with regard to the dependency of the people in the agrarian sector, he encouraged them to initiate multiple cropping in their agricultural lands which would provide additional income as well.
In the presentation, various convergence initiatives implemented at Dalu block comprising of CC Footpath at Dapgre, Boulder Sausage at Bengpara, Irrigation Canal at Josipara, Goatery farm at Tibapara, Marapara VEC with 87 Job card holders sacrificing their five day wages for installing a transformer, etc, Kitchen garden at Rongram C & RD Block, Piggery Shed at Tikrikkila C & RD Block were also highlighted.
Block Development Officer, Dalu C & RD Block, D G Momin had also highlighted social activities being accomplished at the block level including the launch of newsletter entitled Nokantini Mandapani which is a private circulation for every job card household of Dalu C & RD Block aimed to keep the people informed about various issues at the block level and other charity efforts contributed for the welfare of the society in particular.
The meeting concluded with the findings and potentials for bigger plans that can be finalized by facilitating larger number of villages together into clusters with common economic and social service on an interdependent and self governed local system in a cooperative as well as corporate perspective.
Project Director, DRDA, Tura D D Shira, Block Development Officers and Officers of line departments of West Garo Hills District were among others present at the meeting.
