NONGSTOIN: Local farmers from Nongkasen Village in West Khasi Hills have been provided with a major boost with NABARD and MGNREGS converging to set up the state’s first rural haat — the Mandawain Village Haat.
The project is targeted towards uplifting farmers, who have been economically hit during the pandemic.
The Mandawain Village Haat will provide them with better marketing facility.
Speaking during the inaugural function, Utpal Bezbaruah, District Development Manager, NABARD, West Khasi Hills, said that the project (haat) will cover around 24 villages as the distance between the rural haat and villages will be well within 1-7 km.
A godown is constructed within the haat for storage facility. Further, a sanitary complex, wherein people can utilise the ‘Pay and Use’ toilet, is set up at the haat as it is adjacent to the highway.
The cost of the project is over Rs 15 lakh, out of which, NABARD’s contribution is Rs 10 lakh, MGNREGS is Rs 3lakh, while the project holder (DAWN) will contribute around Rs 2lakh.
The location of the haat – Nongkasen, which is famous for the Chayote – is easily accessible by road along the National Highway 44E connecting Tura-Nongstoin to Shillong. The distance from Nongstoin town headquarter to Nongkasen village is about 23 km while approximately 73 km from Shillong.
The haat is managed by the Mandawain Rural Haat Management Committee which includes village sordar as well as representatives from Syiem of Hima Myriaw, besides others.