Works worth Rs 45 crore have been awarded for strengthening the infrastructure of health facilities across the State under the Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project.
Addressing the State Assembly today, Governor Satya Pal Malik said that the Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project funded by the World Bank was aimed at infusing around USD 40 million (Rs 4 crores) within five years to strengthen the overall health system in the State.
Malik said the project was launched with an objective to improve management capacity, quality and utilisation of health services in Meghalaya.
He also said that under the World Bank-funded Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project, the State government is implementing 13 road projects worth Rs 574 crores including construction of three major bridges.
In his address, the Governor said that the critical focus of the State government is on improving rural livelihoods and promoting enterprises in the sectors of agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and animal husbandry.
He also mentioned the Farmers Collectivisation for Upscaling of Production and Marketing Systems scheme, aimed at addressing the key challenges of agricultural production, productivity, and value chain enhancement by bringing the farmers together.
Under the scheme, the government is providing support of Rs 5,000 to each farming household for undertaking agriculture- related activities, the Governor said.
He also said the State government has taken up programmes to promote the production of turmeric, mushroom and jackfruit.
He also said that the implementation of the second phase of the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission launched in 2018 to further address the gaps in the fisheries sector is on, catapulting fishproduction from 12,330 Metric Tonnes in 2016-17 to 16,123 Metric Tonnes in 2020-21.
Malik said that under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, an income support of the Government of India to all land holding farmer families, a total of 2,01,446 farmers in the State have been registered as on February 1, 2022 and 1,94,054 farmers have received financial support.
The Governor said that under Mission Lakadong, the target is to reach the production level of 50,000 Metric Tonnes of turmeric from an area of 6070 hectares in the five years period of 2018-23.
He also informed that 15 Collective Marketing Centres operated by self help groups and cooperative societies have been formed and were provided with financial support of about Rs 28 lakh each for setting up processing units.
Further, he mentioned that the State government has initiated the setting up of farmers markets at 30 different locations across the State. These will be owned and operated by Farmers' Collectives and will help maximise the income of local farmers.
Malik said that in the current financial year, the State government launched the Apiculture Mission to benefit 5000 honey producers and bee keepers of the State.
