Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma distributed 2,000 piglets among 500 beneficiaries of ‘PROGRESS’, a state government initiative under Rural Backyard Piggery Scheme, in Raksamgre, West Garo Hills today.
Sangma also handed over cheques to farmers under the FOCUS and FOCUS+ schemes. Additionally, he distributed financial assistance to several youth organisations under the ‘YESS Meghalaya’ programme.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that the government envisages reaching out to every rural farming household in Meghalaya under FOCUS and FOCUS+.
He told the gathering that, in the last 18 months, 25,000 producer groups were formed in the state under the FOCUS programme and more than Rs 125 crore has already been disbursed to such groups.
Clarifying on the misconception that the funds given to producer groups are loans, Sangma said that the money is purely financial aid to leverage farming and allied activities.
Through FOCUS, cheques of Rs 33.90 lakh were given to producer groups today. Individual producers also received funds today under FOCUS+.
During the programme, self-help groups were given community investment funds, with five village organisations receiving Rs 5.80 lakh. Twenty-one youth groups were also given cheques worth a total Rs 9 lakh under the YESS programme.
Meanwhile, the CM also laid the foundation for the new building of Raksamgre Civil Sub-Division, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore. He also inaugurated two new school buildings that were constructed under the Asian Development Bank’s Supporting Human Capital Development Projects in Meghalaya. The schools are Pedaldoba Government Aided Secondary School and Raksamgre Higher Secondary School.
