AMPATI, July 1: A multi-crore organic cashew processing unit in Gandhipara, envisioned as a economic lifeline for South West Garo Hills, has turned into a “ghost project.” Seven years after its inception, the facility remains non-functional as a recalcitrant Board of Directors and a seemingly helpless Horticulture department trade blame over missing machinery and incomplete construction.
The project, funded under Phase-I of the Central Government’s Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) scheme, was intended to empower the Gandhipara-Betasing Farmers Producer Company Ltd (FPC). Instead, the Achik State People’s Front (ASPF) alleges the unit has been stymied by a “land-donor syndrome,” where the project is treated as a private fiefdom rather than a public utility.
Sanju T Sangma, president of the ASPF Garobadha regional unit, identified the Board of Directors (BOD), led by land donor Haridas Koch, as the primary bottleneck. “The processing unit remains a shell. RTI findings reveal that while almost the entire sanctioned amount has been withdrawn and bills for machinery and tools have been submitted, there is nothing on the ground,” Sangma said.
The ASPF noted that the facility’s electricity connection has since been disconnected due to prolonged inactivity. Despite the project being a major value-addition intervention for the region’s “brown gold”—cashew nuts—farmers are still forced to sell raw produce to middlemen for a pittance.
The Horticulture department, which provided hand-holding support during the first year, claims it is now powerless. “The BOD does not respond to calls or formal inquiries. We have tried to put the project back on track, but they refuse to cooperate,” a department official stated.
The ASPF has filed multiple complaints with the District Administration and the police, questioning why no criminal case for misappropriation has been filed if public funds were used to pay for non-existent equipment.
“If the current board cannot or will not operationalise the unit, they must hand it back to the department so that interested stakeholders can take over,” the ASPF stated. The group has warned of legal action through the courts if the state government fails to resolve the deadlock and recover the public investment.
