SHILLONG, July 9: The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has plans afoot to provide different facilities and infrastructure to more than 800 villages across Meghalaya to usher in the much-needed growth.
Revealing this, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who recently held discussions with Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda in New Delhi, said that the Ministry will look after 830 villages in Meghalaya for five years to shape the overall development and make them self-sufficient in several parameters of development.
The list of selected villages for the five-year programme has been finalised and a meeting in this regard is scheduled for next week.
The project will be funded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and will begin in the next couple of months.
On the sidelines, it was also informed that the chief minister, in his recent New Delhi trip, called on the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, and sought funds for additional projects, besides submitting proposals for projects under Central Road Fund (CRF). The Ministry, on the other hand, has responded positively to the appeal for additional funds pertaining to current financial year under CRF.
Meanwhile, the Centre has also agreed to release pending amount of Rs 80 crore to Meghalaya for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission.
Earlier, the Tribal Affairs Minister had expressed concern over the sluggish progress of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in the state.
However, taking note of the delay, the Meghalaya Government has decided to constitute a taskforce, which will be led by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, comprising Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, Manipur Industrial Development Corporation (MANIDCO), Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS) Limited, and officials of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs as members.
The taskforce is supposed to tackle issues pertaining to land acquisition and others which are affecting the speedy construction of Eklavya schools in state.
Meghalaya has been allotted 40 Eklavya Model Residential Schools.
Also, Centre has even given the nod to implementation of the State Reservation Policy for recruitment of teachers in the upcoming Eklavya schools.
