East Khasi Hills (Meghalaya) [India], April 10 (ANI): Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday visited Syntung Village, Mawkynrew Block, to engage deeply with the local communities. He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to inclusive development and empowering the people of the state.
His visit focused on a series of impactful interactions and conversations, on themes such as agricultural transformation, youth empowerment, self-help groups, and government welfare schemes designed to uplift rural life.
The day began with a heartfelt interaction with members of the Jatah IVCS on the way to Syntung, where the Chief Minister was warmly received by local leaders and residents. The Jatah and Syntung IVCS is a society initiated by the Megha-LAMP, which is a state-wide project of the Government of Meghalaya.
The society has covered at least 155 households out of the 165 total households and mainly focuses on providing financial services and economic opportunities and addressing other essential needs of the community through collective efforts.
The second stop of the day was the walk to Wahrashi waterfalls, where the Meghalaya Chief Minister was welcomed by the local band.
The Chief Minister performed along with the local band and also sanctioned Rs 5 lakh to upgrade their instruments and other equipment.
He also met with locals to discuss the potential for promoting tourism, building architecture like tourist information centers, community kitchens and washrooms, restaurants with waterfall views, and other amenities that would contribute to sustainable economic growth.
One of the day’s key highlights was a visit to the strawberry farms, where the Chief Minister interacted with local farmers who have embraced this high-value crop.
Meghalaya ranks fifth in India in strawberry production. To further boost the State’s Strawberry production, the State government distributed over 1.28 million strawberry plants to 1,175 farmers in 2024-25. 
The Chief Minister informed that an additional Rs 3 crore would be invested in strawberry cultivation across the State.
In his maiden visit to Syntung village, the Meghalaya Chief Minister stated, “My visits to rural areas are not just about listening to your problems but also about fostering a stronger relationship between the government and our farmers. I want to hear your suggestions and concerns so we can work together to drive meaningful development.”
“We have been working tirelessly to support our people in rural areas. In 2018, we had 5,000 Self-Help Groups, but today, we have over 50,000 SHGs. Our funding has also increased significantly, from Rs 30 crore to Rs 1,000 crores,” the Chief Minister emphasised.
He stated that the Government is setting up a Farmers’ Market in Jatah to address the challenges of market linkages.
“Over the past seven years, the Government have distributed over 300 agricultural vehicles to Integrated Village Cooperative Societies,” he said.
The Chief Minister said, “We are also committed to supporting our farmers through the CM ASSURE initiative. We have allocated a fund of Rs 100 crore to purchase broom grass directly from our farmers. This initiative has already benefited over 3,500 farmers, and in Mawkynrew, we have acquired 25 metric tons of broomgrass.”
Further, the youth representative from the Sports Club in Jatah requested better infrastructure development, particularly for the football ground and gallery. The Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to strengthening the sports infrastructure through Mission Football 2.0 and his focus on skill-building, entrepreneurship, and leadership development through YESS Meghalaya.
A relief to local farmers in Syntung has come from the CM ELEVATE – Agri-Vehicle Scheme. By providing farmers with vehicles to transport their produce to markets, the scheme has reduced costs, improved accessibility, and boosted the region’s agricultural output.
In Syntung, people are actively involved in agriculture. To develop it as an agrotourism destination, his Government will set up cold storage and a processing unit as part of the CM ASSURE initiative to tackle the challenge of high crop perishability.
As of April 2025, 167 applications have been approved in the block, and Rs 11,02,860 has been disbursed to 26 farmers.
To improve the rural infrastructure, the Chief Minister declared that Rs 5 lakh would be allocated from the Chief Minister’s Special Development Fund for the construction of a Village Office (VO).
Additionally, the issue of timely wage distribution for job card holders under MGNREGA was also addressed, where the Chief Minister assured that wages would be distributed on time, with no delays, and that the issue would be resolved before Easter. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
HINDI, MARATHI, GUJARATI, TAMIL, TELUGU, BENGALI, KANNADA, ORIYA, PUNJABI, URDU, MALAYALAM
For more details and packages
