SHILLONG: Meghalaya on Friday got its first custom hiring centre (CHC) at Kyiem Village in East Khasi Hills.
The CHC was inaugurated by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in the presence of Mawphlang MLA, SK Sunn, against the backdrop of the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
According to a statement on Friday, the CHC is an initiative to popularise and help achieve the objective of farm mechanisation and also empower farmers to tide over the shortage of labour and improve efficiency of agricultural operations.
Conrad said the project will increase the efficiency and productivity of rural farmers in the state.
Stating that agriculture and farming sectors are the mainstay of roughly 5 lakh rural families in the state, the chief minister emphasised on the need to push for revenue-enhancing interventions so as to increase and augment income of farmers.
“The various interventions under the Megha-Lamp project of the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) are to facilitate increased productivity and efficiency of our farmers. Technology plays an important role. Simple technical interventions, such as access to affordable farm machinery and equipment, will lead to overall improved efficiency and production and farmers can realise better income through increased sales,” Conrad said.
Conrad said 1,350 villages across the state stand to benefit from this initiative of the MBDA and the set-up of the proposed 72 CHCs will allow farmers to hire equipment and tools at nominal cost sans having to bear the monetary burden associated with owning and operating farm machinery.
Meanwhile, Sunn, during his address, said the machinery availed from the CHC will greatly benefit farmers.
Vijay Kumar, Commissioner and Secretary Planning and CEO MBMA, said that the objective of the Megha-Lamp project seeks bring together all the components needed for holistic development of the farming sector and to realise the dream of doubling farmers’ income.
“The essence of the project is to empower community institutions for better rural finance, protection of natural resources, improve agriculture productivity, and facilitate value chain development so that our produce can go to better markets,” he said.
He added that in addition to custom hiring centres, collective marketing centres will be set up in the near future in the villages under the project.
During the occasion, Conrad also distributed smokeless chulhas, developed by the engineering wing of the Soil and Water Conservation department, to the beneficiaries from the village.