By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 8: The Meghalaya BJP held its first State Executive Meeting since the Lok Sabha elections at the state party headquarters here on Monday, focusing on various plans and programmes aimed at the state’s growth and development, with roadmaps being created to ensure the state’s aspirations are fulfilled through central policies.
The meeting was attended by Union Minister of State (Mos) for Minority Affairs, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Dairy, George Kurian, along with state BJP president Rikman G Momin, cabinet minister and BJP MLA AL Hek, MTDC Chairman and BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai, among other state office-bearers and executive members.
During the meeting, Hek urged the Centre, through the visiting Union MoS, to include Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
He emphasised that the constitutional recognition to these two languages would fulfil a long-standing demand of Meghalaya’s citizens and ease academic struggles for students in remote areas.
Addressing a query about the BJP’s poor performance in the Northeastern states, the MoS highlighted that the BJP’s success in Tripura was unforeseen and noted that the party has also formed a government in Goa, a Christian-majority state.
Kurian also expressed optimism about the BJP’s future prospects in Meghalaya.
Kurian, during the meeting, outlined various schemes for Meghalaya conceived by the Narendra Modi-led Government, aiming to significantly improve the animal husbandry and fisheries sectors in Meghalaya, thereby uplifting the financial conditions of those involved in these industries.
According to the MoSm, in the dairy sector, the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) has facilitated significant progress from 2017 to 2023, with a total outlay of 6393.68 lakh and a central share of 5780.48 lakh. Several projects have been implemented across multiple districts of Meghalaya.
Financial progress includes the release of 1019.32 lakh for East Khasi Hills in 2017-18, 118.57 lakh for East Khasi Hills, West Garo Hills, and Ri-Bhoi in 2019-20, 1125.15 lakh for Ri-Bhoi in 2019-20, 966.15 lakh for West Garo Hills in 2020-21, 896.03 lakh for West Jaintia Hills in 2020-21, and 859.26 lakh for East Jaintia Hills, South West Khasi Hills, East Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, and North Garo Hills in 2022-23.
On the other hand, physical progress under the NPDD includes achieving 50 TLPD (Thousand Litres Per Day) out of the targeted 70 TLPD in milk-processing capacity. Twenty-one dairy cooperative societies have been established out of the targeted 103, with 735 milk producer members joining the initiative.