SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday unveiled the foundation stone of the KJP Working Women’s Hostel at Dinam Hall, Jaiaw, here, in the presence of Home Minister Roshan Warjri, Social Welfare Minister Deborah Marak, Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, Chairperson Employment Generation and Resource Mobilization Dikkanchi D Shira, Church elders, headmen and students.
The programme was organized by the Department of Social Welfare.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma expressed his gratitude to the KJP Assembly for partnering with the State Government and taking up the responsibility to run the working women’s hostel.
He said that there is joy in responding to the needs of the people which is being accomplished by providing comfortable and affordable accommodation to the vulnerable sections of the society.
Sangma reminded that while creating job opportunities for the people care should be taken to restructure investment strategy in rural areas also in order to prevent large-scale migration from rural areas.
He advised the department to keep some space which could be used for training purposes as well as imparting coaching and career guidance to the people of the area.
Social Welfare Minister Deborah Marak lauded the efforts and hard work of the Chief Minister as well as the department in planning and designing this project.
She remarked that with progressive changes most rural women tend to migrate to cities which initiated the need to provide safe and affordable accommodation.
Home Minister Roshan Warjri expressed her gratitude to the Chief Minister and the KJP Assembly for implementing this project which would be beneficial to the working women of the State.
Director, Social Welfare Department, H.M. Shangpliang, stated that two working women’s hostels have been earmarked in Tura and Shillong and also briefed about the proposals and designs of the project which is the initiative of the Chief Minister to help rural women who work in the city.
He informed that the project would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 8.9 crore funded under the Chief Minister’s 8th Plan Special Assistance Scheme and it is expected to be completed in 18 to 24 months. The Hostel will include recreation room, separate drawing rooms, bedrooms and kitchen, he added. The said hostel would be run by the KJP Church members.
D.S. Sohkhlet, Moderator of KJP Assembly, shared light on the history and maintenance of the present working women’s hostel which has been functioning since 1986 and is housing about 95 women from the region as well as from other countries.
He said that the major extension plan has been made and when completed it is expected to accommodate 300 women.
The Chief Minister also handed over a cheque of Rs.1.5 crore to the Senior Administrative Secretary, Rev. N S Phawa, which was released by the State Government as the first installment for the hostel project.