Shillong, Sept 11: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma today inaugurated a slew of development initiatives and laid foundation stones for key projects at Tikrikilla and Raksamgre in West Garo Hills.
The projects inaugurated and foundation laid today include, laying of foundation stone of RCC Bridge (PWD Roads) at Jangrapara, Raksamgre, inauguration of the New Tourism Guest House at Nagargaon, Tikrikilla and laying of foundation stone for the New Tourism Guest House at Raksamgre.
During the programme, the Chief Minister also inaugurated a newly opened private Agro Processing Unit – Megha Agro Gold at Tikrikilla, which will process locally available areca nut, jackfruit and pineapple.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the Government has put its focus on the development and growth of rural and far-flung areas of the State. “Road connectivity is directly linked to economic growth and livelihood improvement. That is why we have given the highest priority to road construction,” the Chief Minister said.
Citing transformation in Garo Hills, he said, “The road from Baghmara to Rongara earlier used to take almost 3 hours. Today it takes only 30 to 45 minutes. Rongara to Ranikor which earlier took 3 hours, now takes just 1 hour.”
He informed that in the last 7-8 years, the Government has constructed close to 3,500 km of new roads in the State, which is on average 1.1 km of road every single day. He said this scale of road construction was not witnessed in the last 20 years.
“Development cannot happen overnight, but we have laid the foundation for growth. We have to build infrastructure, but we also have to pay salaries to teachers and employees. We do not have unlimited budget, but we are prioritizing and working sincerely,” he added.
Highlighting future connectivity, the Chief Minister said the Dhubri-Phulbari bridge, a Rs. 3500 crore project and the longest bridge in the eastern region, is nearing completion. He said the bridge will open a new economic corridor for the entire North East.
“We have proposed a major corridor – Dalu to Baghmara, Baghmara to Ranikor, Ranikor to Shella and Ratecherra up to the Bangladesh border. When completed, it will connect Silchar, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and transform trade and movement in the region,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that beyond roads, the Government is also working to strengthen social infrastructure. He informed that over Rs. 200 crore has been sanctioned in the last 4 years for 56 blocks across the State for construction and upgradation of schools, block offices and health centres.
“We had schools but no proper infrastructure, no water, no electricity. We had blocks but no office to work from. We are slowly changing that scenario,” he said.
The Chief Minister also laid emphasis on creating economic opportunities through value addition to local produce. He lauded the Megha Agro Gold unit and the jackfruit and pineapple ice-cream making initiative at Tikrikilla.
“In the past we had to throw our produce away. Today we are making ice cream from jackfruit and pineapple of Garo Hills. This is a good start, but not enough. We need more such industries so that our farmers get a good price for their produce,” he said.
The Chief Minister commended the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) under the leadership of CEM Dhormonath Sangma and all MDCs for initiating major reforms and transformation.
On the occasion, two landmark initiatives of the Council were launched,GHADC Patta Management System (PMS) Portal: A digital platform to streamline land records and patta management. The system will bring transparency, ease of access for citizens and efficiency in land documentation and service delivery in GHADC areas.
Service Conduct Rules Book: A comprehensive rulebook for the functioning and conduct of Council employees, aimed at bringing professionalism, accountability and administrative discipline.The Chief Minister said that these initiatives are part of the larger governance reform process.
On Separate Electoral Roll (SER), describing it as a historic and bold decision, the Chief Minister spoke about the implementation of the Separate Electoral Roll (SER). “The Separate Electoral Roll was a very big decision. We have passed the rules and resolved a long pending problem once and for all,” he said.
He clarified, “No non-tribal should feel hurt. We are not against any community. We have lived peacefully for ages and we will always live together and work together. This decision was necessary to bring clarity and to protect the interests of our tribal communities.”
The Chief Minister also reiterated that during elections the Government had promised roads for Tikrikilla and those promises have been fulfilled, along with many other infrastructure projects including guest houses at Raksamgre and Tikrikilla to promote tourism and investment.
“To bring investment, we need infrastructure. Guest houses, roads and bridges will ensure that people would like to come and invest here. This is how real economic development happens,” he added. The programme was attended by local leaders, Nokmas, officials and a large gathering of public from Tikrikilla and Raksamgre.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira, Deputy Speaker Limison D. Sangma, MLA Jimmy D. Sangma, and CEM, GHADC Dhormonath Sangma, along with senior officials of the district administration.
