TURA, Aug 22: Union Minister of State (MoS) for Road, Transport and Highways, Ajay Tamta, on Wednesday emphasised the potential for flourishing horticulture and tourism in the Garo Hills during his visit to the region.
Tamta urged the West Garo Hills district administration to focus on promoting the region’s natural beauty to attract tourists from across the country and beyond.
Earlier in the day, the union MoS paid a visit to the villages of Daribokgre and Chandigre, located at the foothills of Nokrek National Park, to inspect the progress of centrally sponsored schemes, which included low-cost AAY houses, government schools, anganwadi centers, as well as Primary Health Centres (PHC) and Community Health Centres (CHC).
He was accompanied by West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Jagdish Chelani and other district officials.
Later, at a review meeting held at Circuit House, Tamta assessed the implementation of these schemes in the presence of DC Chelani, East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Agarwal, and heads of various departments.
During the meeting, Chelani presented a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation that highlighted the scope for promoting eco-tourism, the convergence of different schemes for more effective implementation, forest cover preservation, and the promotion of personal hygiene and sanitation in villages.
The presentation also covered the implementation of key centrally sponsored schemes in the district, including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin and Urban), Har Ghar Jal Yojana, Mission Indradhanush, Pradhan Mantri Poshan Abhiyan, and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, among others.
The union MoS expressed his satisfaction with the monitoring and implementation of these schemes and reiterated his suggestion to focus on the development of horticulture and tourism in the region.
In the second half of the meeting, NHIDCL Executive Director Biju Patir updated the Union MoS on the progress of the ongoing National Highway widening projects in Garo Hills.
The Public Works Department (PWD), Tura, also provided details on the construction of the Phulbari-Dhubri National Highway and the 19.4-km-long bridge over Brahmaputra River, which will be the longest bridge in India.
The project, which has already commenced, is expected to be completed by September 2028.
