From Our Reporter
SOHRA, Jan 11: It took the Chief Minister, along with a team of bureaucrats and cabinet ministers, to address decades of neglect at a school in Siej, a small village in the Shella constituency. Since 1944, the lower primary school had languished without significant improvements until the CM’s visit during the two-day Sohra cabinet retreat.
The Sohra retreat, designed for departmental collaboration and strategy discussions, saw part of the cabinet passing bills before dispersing for field visits. On the second day, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, and PHE Minister Marcuise Marak, along with several bureaucrats, trekked to the Umkar Living Root Bridge in Siej village, Shella Bholaganj block, East Khasi Hills.
The other cabinet members, however, gave the trek a miss.
The road to the village was riddled with potholes, hastily filled with sand in preparation for the CM’s arrival. “I came here earlier this month, and the drive was nearly impossible,” said a driver who took this reporter through the route. The school, barely recognisable as an educational institution, epitomized years of administrative neglect.
The visit prompted several announcements. The Chief Minister declared new infrastructure projects, including road construction and the upgrading of school facilities.
“The government is committed to addressing rural needs,” he stated. “We’re working to provide better connectivity for farmers and residents and to improve educational opportunities for future generations.”
Acknowledging the area’s tourism potential, the Chief Minister revealed plans to develop facilities near the Living Root Bridge, which attracts nearly 10,000 visitors annually, according to locals. “Tourism is essential for economic growth,” he noted. “We aim to boost tourism while preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage.”
The VIP entourage took a bus to the village and gathered at the Living Root Bridge, built by Hally War, the 68-year-old village headman. War recounted how, as a young boy of 10 or 12, he cultivated the bridge to address the challenges posed by monsoon river crossings. His initiative was praised by the visitors.
Sitting around the bridge, the group discussed its history and the village’s development. War patiently explained how he learned to use the trees to create the bridge. The single-decker bridge is in the process of becoming a double-decker, with a new layer being cultivated by the community, expected to be ready in another 20 years.
“It’s the first skywalk, only it’s natural,” the CM joked.
In another candid moment, the Health Minister acted as a translator for the CM during a conversation with the headman, who spoke in Khasi. The interaction highlighted teamwork and a personal connection with the villagers.
The root bridges, known locally as ‘jinkieng jri,’ are considered a marvel. The CM emphasized efforts to secure UNESCO World Heritage status for these bridges. “The competition is tough, but we remain optimistic,” he said.
Following the trek down and then up, the entourage met two Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The CM interacted with them as they sought government intervention in various ways.
The entourage then proceeded to the venue to begin the remaining sessions for the day.
For Siej, the visit brought long-overdue attention, raising questions about why such changes required the Chief Minister’s presence to materialize.
Earlier, an interactive session between various SHGs, village organizations, and community cadres with the Chief Minister, Cabinet ministers, and other senior government officials was organized by the Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society (MSRLS) at the Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort, Laitkynsew.
The community members represented the adjoining areas of Sohra, Nongwar, Laitkynsew, Tyrna, Nongthymmai, Mawlong, and Mustoh.
The CM granted a sum of Rs 10 lakh each to two Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) from the Chief Minister’s Special Development Fund for the construction of CLF office buildings.