SHILLONG/JOWAI, Feb 9: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has asserted that the Dairy Complex at Mukhla village in West Jaintia Hills, which is in the pipeline, will address the shortage of milk production in Meghalaya.
The chief minister, who on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Dairy Complex, informed that the project is part of Meghalaya’s flagship programme of Dairy Mission.
Funded by the National Programme for Dairy Development, Government of India, the Dairy Complex is being constructed at an approximate cost of over nine crore.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that the project, once completed, will provide job opportunities to around 2000-plus farming communities.
“Through this project, we are working towards ensuring livelihood through new means and new avenues, especially for the younger generation based on the population trend that we are seeing in our state,” the chief minister said.
Reiterating that the Meghalaya Government has to generate 50,000 jobs every year, Conrad said, “It is a huge challenge for the government. And realising this challenge and growth in the youth population, the government has embarked on different ways of creating livelihood opportunities in different sectors.”
Deeming the project as crucial for the government, Conrad said that the Dairy Complex, once completed, will address the shortage of milk production in the state.
“In our state, we have production of about 12 lakh litres of milk but at the same time our consumption annually is over 200 lakh litres. So, therefore, there is a huge gap in production and consumption of milk in our state. This is a great opportunity for us for revenue generation as well as providing a viable alternative to jobs,” the chief minister said.
The programme was also attended by local MLA, Wailad Shylla.
Work on other developmental projects
The chief minister, during the programme, also informed that the construction work on the mini secretariat in Jowai will soon begin as Rs 20 crore for the same has been sanctioned while the MCH Hospital in Jowai will be inaugurated within a month or two.
“For the beautification of Jowai town, Rs 12 crore has been sanctioned and the work also has been allotted to contractors,” he said.
With regard to road infrastructure, the chief minister informed that Rs 23 crore has been sanctioned for the development of internal roads in Jowai town under Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project. Similarly, Rs five crore has been sanctioned from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for the development of internal road at Mihmyntdu village.
It was also informed that work on Jowai bypass and Jowai-Amlarem Road is going on in full swing.
The chief minister also said that Rs 35 crore has been sanctioned for the development of Thadlaskein Lake.