Ampati, March 26: In an effort to create awareness on various assistance available for the bee keepers under Apiculture Mission of IBDLP, the Basin Development Unit of South West Garo Hills, conducted an Entrepreneurial Conclave cum Registration Drive at Upper Damalgre Community Hall for the Bee Keepers of Upper Damalgre Bee Keeping Cluster under Betasing C&RD Block on Friday, last.
Despite the Non-Cooperation Movement called by certain NGOs, over 50 percent of the target group attended the day-long programme during which, resource persons drawn from various line departments highlighted to them about the different kinds of assistance for the bee keepers under the Mission and how to avail them. The programme was conducted under the leadership of W. R. G. Momin, EAC & Nodal Officer, BDU, Ampati.
The District Commerce & Industries Centre being the nodal department for implementing Apiculture Mission, Industrial Promotion Officer , South West Garo Hills, Manju Hajong talked about different assistance the Bee Keepers may avail under DCIC and the departmental norms and the procedures involved. He also talked about loan provisions, including PMEGP, which the department are linking the people with for financial assistance.
Programme Associate, Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship, Tura, Pradeep M Sangma briefed the participants about the entrepreneurial concept with special focus on Apiculture for income generation as well as its benefits to the environment. He also talked about various capacity building programmes like trainings and exposure visits the partners are being given under IBDLP.
Assistant Manager (ED & EFC Co-ordinator), Basin Development Unit, SWGH, Ampati Venecia N Sangma, talked about the working system of IBDLP focusing on its 11 Missions and the 11 accompanying measures. She also talked about the co-relation between MBDA and the government line departments and the different ways in which the partners are linked with them.
Master Trainer & Secretary, Upper Damalgre Bee Keeping Cluster Modison M Sangma, who is also the Master Bee Keeper with the maximum number of live bee boxes in the area, shared his experiences during the programme, where he found out different benefits of bee keeping and usage of honey. As an encouragement to others, he also said that bee keeping is not a tedious job and does not require much labour.
Nokma of Upper Damalgre, Huberth R.Marak and Programme Associate, EFC Betasing, Ritcheng A. Sangma, were among others who also addressed the participants. The programme was followed up with a Registration Drive on the next day where a good number of people registered themselves as partners under IBDLP.
