Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 419/22

FORESTS AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTER, JAMES PK SANGMA DISTRIBUTES CHEQUES UNDER PES PILOT PROJECT

Meghalaya Forests and Environment Minister, James PK Sangma, accompanied by Chief Executive Member of GHADC, Albinush R Marak, distributed cheques as payment of first installment under the Payment for Ecosystem Services pilot project for restoration of Ganol catchment to 18 villages in a function organized at Oragitok village under Rongram C and RD Block on 17 October.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister lauded the initiatives undertaken by Dr. Subhash Ashutosh, Co Chairman and Director of Centre of Excellence for Natural Resources Management and Sustainable Livelihood, for successfully implementing this extremely noble and innovative idea. Despite the fact that the climate change is playing havoc in the entire state and other challenges, the Govt. had an opportunity to go ahead with the PES, he informed. Saying that the Govt. of the day must come forward and act in such kind of challenging situations, the minister expressed gratitude to the chief minister for having the courage to try to find a unique balance between the economy and ecology which is one of the biggest challenges that conservation efforts face in todays times.

The CEM of GHADC, Albinush R Marak, while addressing the gathering, sought the cooperation and support of the villagers to conserve the natural environment for preserving the rivers, streams and other water bodies.

The villages which received the cheques as first installment for social agreement and boundary mapping under the PES on the day, included Bibragre, Chandigre, Darechikgre, Daribokgre, Do.pananggre, Dura Kalakgre, Dura Kantragre, Dura Songma, Pagugre, Ganol A.pal, Ganol Songma, Selbalgre, Misimagre, Matchurigre, Sasatgre, So.ragre, Tosekgre and Wa.dagre.

The keynote address, on the day, was delivered by Dr. Subhash Ashutosh, the Co Chairman and Director of the Centre of Excellence. The others who spoke on the occasion included the vice president of Nokma Council, Wenison ChM arak and Prenilla A Sangma, the Nokma of Dura Songma.

Press Release No. 420/22

500 CRORE SPEND FOR FARMERS IN THE STATE ANNUALLY, SAYS CM CONRAD SANGMA

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said that through Focus and Focus Plus programme, the farming communities in the State close to 4.5 lakhs will avail Rs 500 cr annually.

Our farmers will get almost close to Rs 500 cr in their accounts every year and if you multiply this for 10 years, it will be Rs 5000 cr. This money will revolve amongst our farmers, producers groups in the State and they can decide on the best ways to use the funds, the Chief Minister said, while addressing an event to celebrate the success of FOCUS programme at Nongstoin in West Khasi Hills.

Focus and Focus Plus are flagship initiatives of the Government that provides financial aid and cash benefit of Rs 5000 each to farmers producer groups and individuals respectively. Under both the programmes, an individual farmer in every rural household across Meghalaya will have a cash benefit of Rs 10000 each.

During the event, the beneficiaries of Focus, the Producer Groups were given cheques, while beneficiaries of Focus Plus were given the Focus Card. The funds under Focus Plus will be released in installments to the beneficiaries. Through FOCUS in the district of West Khasi Hills, a total of 1957 PG members household were sanctioned an amount of Rs 5000 per Household amounting Rs 62,85,000 an amount of Rs 1000 per household will be released as first instalment and the remaining 4000 as second instalment.

The Chief Minister also handed over Community Investment Funds of Rs 1.14 Crore to support women Self Help Groups for 44 village organisations. The financial assistance under Yess Meghalaya to youth organisations and piglets and chicks under Progress scheme were also distributed.

Talking about the SHG movement and its impact on livelihood and income generation, the Chief Minister said that in the last four years the SHG groups have increased from merely 4500 in 2017 to 2018 to about 42000 at present. In the past only Rs 50 cr was disbursed to SHGs across the State but from 2018 till date, despite 2 years of Covid 19 pandemic, the Government has been able to disburse Rs 380 cr to different SHGs in the State, he stressed. He also informed that under different mission mode programmes for farmers welfare, the Government has invested more than 700 cr to support farmers and leverage farming activities. Through the various mission mode programmes in the past 4.5 years the Government has worked to bring a turnaround in the different farming sectors. We are working with a vision of doubling farmers income and have maximum impact at the grassroots through these interventions, he added.

Press Release No. 421/22

NEW KVK INAUGURATED AT EASTERN WEST KHASI HILLS

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma today inaugurated the newly constructed administrative building of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Mawthadraishan, Eastern West Khasi Hills in presence of Water Resource Minister Brolding Nongsiej.

Inaugurating the new infrastructure, the Chief Minister dedicated the building to the farmers and said it will greatly enhance the functioning of the KVKs in the region in terms of the support that they can give to the farmers to take up various farming activities.

Farmers makeup for more than 70 percent of the population in the state. Most of the families depend on one or the other form of agriculture for their daily livelihood. Hence to be able to have significant impact on the lives of the people of the state, we need to ensure that we are able to put enough investment in agriculture, the Chief Minister said.

Talking about increasing farmers income, he said that through the involvement of scientific practices and different technology, the Government will be able to achieve its goal of increasing the farmers income. In the last 4.5 years, this Government introduced various mission mode programme like jackfruit mission, the mushroom mission, the turmeric mission, ginger mission, aroma mission, spice mission and so on and so forth. We are opening up different opportunities for our farming communities, he added.

Stating that the Government has introduced different programmes and interventions for the welfare of farmers, he said that through the use of right technology and scientific methods the goals and target for better yields is possible in the farming sector. This is an age of technology and scientific practices. The KVKs will play a pivotal role in ensuring that proper training is given to the farmers and the right technology is introduced to them, he said.