Shillong, November 12: The district administration of South West Garo Hills is intensifying efforts to improve healthcare, education and agricultural livelihoods, while the police are maintaining vigilance over cross-border movement, drug-related activities and crimes against women and children.
These developments were highlighted by Deputy Commissioner Anendya Raajsshre, IAS, and Superintendent of Police Vikash Varma, IPS, during separate interactions with journalists from Shillong as part of a press tour organised by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).
Sharing her assessment of the district since assuming charge in January this year, Raajsshre said South West Garo Hills enjoys a peaceful social environment, with people from different communities living together harmoniously. However, she noted that certain developmental indicators require focused attention, prompting the administration to initiate regular departmental review meetings.
In the health sector, the administration has prioritised maternal and child healthcare under the Early Childhood Development Mission, particularly reducing home deliveries and maternal deaths.
She said some women continue to hesitate in opting for institutional deliveries due to concerns about leaving their children and livestock unattended, while others prefer home deliveries during late-night emergencies.
To address this, awareness initiatives are being undertaken to familiarise pregnant women with the availability of round-the-clock services at PHCs, CHCs and civil hospitals. She identified pockets under Mellon, Zikzak and Salmanpara PHCs where reluctance towards institutional deliveries persists, while poor network connectivity in certain forested areas poses additional challenges.
Education is another major priority, with the administration undertaking surveys to identify school dropouts and facilitate their enrolment in special classes to obtain literacy certification. Open schooling is also being explored for those unable to return to regular classes.
The administration is also monitoring the implementation of the PM POSHAN scheme to ensure regular mid-day meals in schools and the provision of eggs at least once a week. While no instances of packed food or direct distribution of raw grains had been reported, irregularities in serving meals were detected in a few schools, leading to action against the concerned teachers and principals.
Raajsshre further said the Education Department has been asked to examine the district’s relatively lower performance in the Class X and XII examinations and submit a report by the end of the year to identify gaps and recommend corrective measures.
Highlighting the district’s agricultural potential, she said farmers produce a variety of fruits and vegetables but continue to face difficulties in aggregating their produce and accessing wider markets. The administration is therefore working to organise farmers into Farmer Producer Organisations and Integrated Village Cooperative Societies to strengthen their collective bargaining capacity and market linkages.
She added that value addition is being encouraged through local processing facilities, with a millet processing plant and a honey processing plant recently inaugurated in the district. Efforts are also being made to strengthen women’s livelihoods through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), particularly by promoting poultry and piggery farming under the Lakhpati Didi initiative.
The administration is also focusing on sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission, while awareness programmes are being conducted to address teenage pregnancies and concerns relating to crimes against women and children, including offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Vikash Varma, IPS, said the overall law and order situation in South West Garo Hills remains peaceful, although the police continue to monitor cross-border movement, drug-related activities and offences against women and children.
He said the district shares an international border with Bangladesh and an interstate border with Assam. Although the situation along both borders remains peaceful, the police remain vigilant against infiltration, cross-border movement and other security concerns.
On cross-border movement, the SP said cases involving Bangladeshi nationals attempting to return to their country through Meghalaya have emerged as a concern.
In a recent operation in the Zikzak area, police arrested seven persons, including six Bangladeshi nationals. The six Bangladeshi nationals were said to have been residing in different parts of India, including Delhi, Bengaluru and Surat, before attempting to cross into Bangladesh through Meghalaya.
On drug-related activities, he said South West Garo Hills is not a major commercial transit route for narcotics, with most reported cases involving small-scale peddling.
He informed that police recently arrested two persons under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and recovered 2,000 Yaba tablets.
Regarding crimes against women and children, the SP said cases under the POCSO Act, including those involving teenage pregnancies and the sexual assault of minors, continue to be reported in the district. He stressed the need for greater awareness of the Act, particularly among students and educational institutions.
He added that police regularly organise awareness programmes in schools, colleges and market areas on cybercrime, drug abuse, the POCSO Act and the NDPS Act.
Varma also clarified that there have been no militancy-related incidents or indications of a revival of militant groups in the district, maintaining that the overall security situation remains under control.
