State Rural Tech Centre to come up at Nongbah Myrdon, Ri Bhoi
NONGPOH: In a noble gesture rarely witnessed, the people of Nongbah Myrdon village under Ri Bhoi district donated 5.5 acres of land to the State Community & Rural Development Department for construction of the Meghalaya State Rural & Technology & Livelihood Promotion Centre, along the line of the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad. This will be only the second such centre in the country.
Nongbah Myrdon is one of the several villages under Umsning Community & Rural Development Block about 15 kilometers from NH-40 under Ri Bhoi District. In terms of cleanliness and orderliness the village resembles Mawlynnong, Asia’s cleanest village.
This progressive and visionary act of the village under the leadership of its Rangbah Shnong, B P Thangkhiew has earned it the goodwill of the C&RD Department of the State Government which has identified the land for setting up the Meghalaya State Rural Technology & Livelihood Promotion Centre (MSRT & LPC) at a cost of Rs 9.5 crore.
Speaking at the function, Principal Secretary, C&RD, KN Kumar said “Today history is being scripted in the village with the laying of the foundation stone for a project of regional and national importance. The Centre will develop and disseminate appropriate technology for the people of the region.”
Kumar said that he had accompanied the C&RD Minister, Prestone Tynsong to NIRD Hyderabad in 2013 and shown him all that was possible at such a Centre. Tynsong was so impressed at the possibilities that he expressed a desire to set up a similar facility in Meghalaya.
“Necessity propels people to innovate and make life better for themselves but such initiatives never see the light of day and the innovations often go unnoticed. The proposed Rural Technology Park will ensure that such innovations are documented and replicated,” Kumar said, adding that high end labs in universities and other institutions have difficulty reaching out due to poor extension services and that the RTP will be a centre of incubation and dissemination of such novel initiatives,” Kumar stated.
He also informed that Chief Minister, Dr. Mukul Sangma had announced in the budget of 2013-14 for launching the State Rural Infrastructure Development Initiative abbreviated as SRIDI, with four major components of which the MSRT & LPC is a significant component.
The Foundation stone for the Centre was laid by C&RD Minister Prestone Tynsong at a well attended function where people of the village dressed up for the occasion. Also present at the function was Parliamentary Secretary and Umsning legislator Dr. C. Lyngdoh, Principal Principal Secretary, Planning R.M Mishra, Director, C&RD Akash Deep and Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner Pooja Pandey.
Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (IDFC) representative Ashok Madhukar, NIRD Director Dr. Pant and Mawhati Legislator Julius Dorphang, were also present at the function. Deputy Director, State Institute for Rural Development (SIRD) B Rumnong had prepared the minds of the villages of Myrdon Nongbah since the last two years and what culminated on Tuesday was the fruit of this engagement.
The dynamic and young Rangbah Shnong of Myrdon Nongbah, Bipul Thangkhiew said that the village measures about 299 acres and the land donated is only 5.5 acres of the 30 acres that is being kept in reserve for future projects revolving around the RTC. He presented to the dignitaries a copy of the socio-economic profile of the village thereby making it easy for the Government to plan its moves.
Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone, Prestone Tynsong lauded the kind gesture of the people of Nongbah Myrdon for donating the huge plot of land for the people- oriented project. He said this was a model village with an open mind and a progressive spirit.
Tynsong told the gathering that land acquisition is one of the toughest challenges in Meghalaya and several projects have had to be abandoned for want of land. He lauded the people of Nongbah Myrdon for their exemplary gesture of parting with their land for the greater good of the village and the State. He hoped that this village would be an example for others to follow for that is the only way to bring development and with it livelihoods and well being.
Mr Tynsong also publicly lauded the principal secretaries present, namely KN Kumar and RM Mishra and said he has learnt a lot from them and valued their passion for rural development. Tynsong said Government cannot help each household with money but it can facilitate them to earn decent incomes and live with dignity. One of the components of the RTP is the use of bio-digesters for enabling better sanitation. Tynsong said that 5 schools in the village would be taken on an experimental basis to test the viability of bio-digesters in Meghalaya.
Speaking to The Shillong Times after the ceremony, State Institute of Resource Development, Nongsder Deputy Director, B Rumnong informed that, the objective of the government through the MSRT & LPC is not merely to set up a demonstration unit or training center but also an avenue for moulding the people of the district and the state to become self reliant and independent.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Mr RM Mishra, Principal Secy, Planning, Director C&RD Akash Deep, Deputy Commissioner Ri Bhoi, Ms Puja Pandey and Dr C Lyngdoh, MLA.
During the function the people of the area presented a song where they lamented the absence of a black-topped road and urged the dignitaries to ensure that the road to their villages are built at the earliest.