Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday announced. 13 crores special financial package for the development of tourism infrastructure and amenities at the scenic Nongkhnum Island in West Khasi Hills district of the state.
Nongkhnum is known as the second-largest River Island in Asia after Majuli in Assam. The chief minister visited the island with his family accompanied by District Administration officials.
The Chief Minister was in Nongstoin to interact with Producer Groups (PGs), formed under underFarmers’ Collectivisation for Up-scaling of Production and Marketing Systems (FOCUS) – a flagship initiative of the Meghalaya Government.
Interacting with the farmers, Sangma said that the government has earmarked Rs. 200 crore
for farmers’ welfare programme in the State and added that the government is keen to understand
the issues and concerns of the farmers and come up with appropriate policies to ensure that maximum benefit reaches the farmers.
“FOCUS is an innovative welfare programme, whereby the Government ensures that the farmers are able to enhance their productivity as well as avail benefit of credit linkages and strengthen access to markets,” he said.
Sangma said the government has accorded thrust to ensure that road connectivity in the district is improved and informed that the Greater Nongstoin Water Supply Scheme is nearing completion and will be inaugurated soon.
Through this ambitious programme, the Meghalaya Basin Management Authority, the nodal implementing agency identifies production clusters of marketable produce, focuses on Value Chain Analysis of the produce, forming bottom-up small collectives known as Producer Groups (PGs), identifying and training extension service providers known as Service Producers and building large collectives in the form of Cooperative Societies and Farmer Producer Organizations through bringing together well functioning PGs.
The Chief Minister handed over cheques to PGs. A total of 36 Producer Groups were given support under the FOCUS Program amounting to Rs 21,95,000.
During his day-long visit to the district, the chief minister also inspected the Nongstoin-Wahkajiand Nongstoin-Nongkhnum roads.
