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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Meghalaya signs 13 pacts to turn agri-waste into rural wealth, boost farmers' incomes
Shillong, With hundreds of tonnes of pineapple peels, banana stems, and flower waste going unused each year, the Meghalaya government on Friday signed 13 MoUs with leading technical and research institutions to convert farm and floral waste into organic compost and herbal colours, including gulal, officials said on Friday. Meghalaya signs 13 pacts to turn agri-waste into rural wealth, boost farmers' incomes The initiative also aims to promote the production of health foods from millets, sorghum, and maize as part of a broader push to boost rural entrepreneurship, improve farmers' incomes, and reduce environmental waste through value addition, they said. The pacts were signed during the Summit for Rural Empowerment at the State Convention Centre here and form part of the state's efforts under the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission to transform rural livelihoods through innovation, technology, and market linkages. Officials said six more pacts are likely to be signed and are expected to further strengthen livelihood initiatives in tribal and remote areas of the state. The government aims to shift from low-value primary production to high-value processing of local resources in a manner that is both economically and ecologically sustainable. Activities under the new MoUs include producing compost from fruit waste, extracting essential oils from medicinal plants, converting flowers into natural dyes, and developing nutritious food products from indigenous crops, officials added. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, speaking at the event, said the summit showcases the government's sustained commitment to farmers, women, and rural communities. Over the last seven years, the state has facilitated the formation of more than 55,000 SHGs involving over 5 lakh women, and extended support to over 2 lakh farmers and 20,000 farmer collectives, the CM said. Addressing concerns such as delays in seed supply, Sangma said the CM Farm Plus Scheme is expected to streamline farm input delivery and boost productivity. He also highlighted that the government has spent ₹50 crore in the past eight months under the CM Assure Programme to stabilise the prices of key crops like turmeric and betelnut. Agriculture Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh called PMJVM a "far-sighted transformation that is already bearing fruit.". She said flagship initiatives like the CM Farm Plus Scheme and the State Organic Farming Mission, currently implemented across 52,000 hectares and targeting 1 lakh hectares by 2028, are vital to reviving the rural economy. She also informed that 169 Vikas Divyangta Vikas Kendras have been sanctioned, benefiting over 50,000 people. Each VDVK supports 15 self-help groups of which 60 per cent are from tribal communities, and provides ₹15 lakh in financial assistance for equipment, training, and marketing support. Dr Vijay Kumar D of the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency said the MoUs will help convert VDVKs into viable rural enterprises by connecting them with reputed institutions across India. He also recalled Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's praise of Meghalaya as a self-reliant and resilient model for the country. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Amid Assam eviction drives, neighbouring states on guard against influx of ‘illegal immigrants'
With thousands in Assam displaced during the state government's recent spate of evictions, and with more planned, the Northeastern state's neighbours are on tenterhooks. Days after the Nagaland government referred to displaced people as 'illegal immigrants' and ordered 'heightened vigilance' on its border with Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur have now issued similar directions to check their influx. The Nagaland government's move was triggered by an upcoming eviction drive in Uriamghat of Assam's Golaghat district, which borders the state. 'In view of the ongoing eviction drive against the illegal immigrants undertaken by the government of Assam and to prevent possible influx of the displaced individuals to the state as consequence, all Deputy Commissioners are hereby directed to keep vigilance and take necessary measures to ensure the potential influx is kept in check, and law and order is maintained,' read the order issued by the National People's Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya government on Wednesday. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday met all District Collectors and senior officials, including the DGP and Chief Secretary, to 'strengthen vigilance and security' along the Assam border, to ensure there is no 'infiltration' into the state. 'There are certain vulnerable districts, especially bordering Assam and closer to areas where the eviction drives are going on. Hence, special attention is being given in those districts … We have been informed that no incident has taken place in any of these districts. All the district administrations, police, Village Defence Parties (VDPs), village-level committees, traditional heads and NGOs are being kept in the loop to ensure information regarding movement or individuals is communicated to us and appropriate action is taken,' Sangma said after the meeting. On Wednesday, Manipur, which is currently under President's Rule, issued a similar order, but without explicitly mentioning the eviction drives in Assam. In the order, the Manipur administration directed all District Collectors and Superintendents of Police to ensure vigil at inter-state and inter-district boundaries to 'prevent anyone from crossing into the state's boundaries illegally'. Over the past two months, more than 3,300 families, mostly Muslims of Bengali origin, have been evicted from forest, grazing and government revenue lands in Assam. While the political narrative around the eviction drives is seen as polarising, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claiming they were being undertaken to mainly stem 'demographic invasion by people of one religion', the crackdowns are against encroachment and not against 'illegal immigrants' as the orders by the Manipur and Meghalaya dispensations suggest. Nagaland Deputy CM Y Patton said the state would deploy additional forces in all areas bordering Assam, while the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Niuland district, which borders Assam, claimed to have sent back evicted illegal immigrants who were intercepted in '200 vehicles on Tuesday'. The state has an Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime that mandates that citizens who do not belong to Nagaland must procure an official travel document issued by the state government to visit or stay. In another bordering district, Mon, the Konyak Students Union has stepped in. 'We are cooperating with the district administration and deploying 100 volunteers from each village to maintain a round-the-clock vigil. We are checking for documentation such as Aadhaar card and ILP for every vehicle entering from Assam,' KSU president Temwang Anagh told The Indian Express.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Assam eviction drives alarm in neighbouring states, influx feared
GUWAHATI: The eviction drives in Assam have triggered panic in the neighbouring states about possible influx of the evicted people and illegal immigrants. After Nagaland and Manipur governments issued advisories to thwart the illegal entry of the people, the Meghalaya government issued an alert on Thursday at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh, are 'protected' states where the Inner Line Permit (ILP) has already been implemented. The ILP is an official document that an Indian citizen should carry while visiting these states for a limited period. Meghalaya does not have any such constitutional safeguard. The Meghalaya chief minister said the purpose of the security review meeting was to discuss the overall effect of the Assam eviction drives. 'The government has been continuously engaging with the district magistrates so that they further engage with block development officers, police, NGOs, traditional heads and other stakeholders, and ensure there is no infiltration or movement because of the Assam eviction drives,' Sangma said. He said the districts bordering Assam and areas closer to places of eviction drives were vulnerable and therefore had been asked to stay on alert. 'However, no incident has taken place in any of the districts,' he added. Nagaland has been on alert for the past few days. Various student organisations issued separate statements, expressing fear about influx of the displaced people and illegal migrants. Their worries strengthened after authorities prevented the illegal entry of the evicted people into Nagaland's Niuland district.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Guard against infiltration amid Assam eviction drive: Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma
GUWAHATI Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has directed officials to coordinate with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and traditional heads to ensure that individuals evicted by the Assam government do not enter the State. on Thursday (July 24, 2025), Mr. Sangma convened a high-level meeting with all Deputy Commissioners to review security and surveillance measures along the interstate border. Chief Secretary D.P. Wahlang, Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang and other top officials were present. 'The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the overall effect of the recent eviction drives in Assam, particularly in areas close to the border with Meghalaya,' the Chief Minister said after the meeting. Emphasising the need for heightened vigilance along the border, Mr. Sangma called for coordination among district officials, traditional heads, NGOs, and members of Village Defence Parties to prevent any illegal movement or infiltration, especially in vulnerable regions. Earlier, a directive issued by the State's Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Shakil P. Ahamed, said, 'In view of the ongoing eviction drive against illegal immigrants undertaken by the Government of Assam and to prevent possible influx of the displaced individuals to the State as a consequence, all Deputy Commissioners are hereby directed to keep vigilant and take necessary measures to ensure the potential influx is kept in check and law and order is maintained.' Meghalaya has expressed concern over the possible 'spillover' effects of Assam's eviction drives, particularly in the western regions bordering Goalpara and South Salmara-Mankachar districts. A major eviction operation, during which one person was killed in police firing, was conducted recently in Goalpara's Paikan Reserve Forest. Meghalaya is the third North-eastern State after Nagaland and Manipur to instruct its border district authorities to prevent the entry of individuals evicted from various categories of government land in Assam. Nagaland, in particular, has intensified monitoring efforts. Officials in the State's Niuland district, which borders Assam's Golaghat district, said that security personnel had 'deported' individuals who had arrived in 'more than 200 vehicles'. The Assam government is also conducting a survey of forested areas in Golaghat's Uriamghat region in preparation for an eviction drive. Several encroachers are reported to have left the area in anticipation. Since June, more than 50,000 people, mostly Muslims with roots in Bangladesh, have reportedly been evicted from various parts of Assam.
Hindustan Times
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Meghalaya minister asks MLAs, MPs to push for school infra upgradation
Shillong, With the Meghalaya government launching a massive drive to upgrade school infrastructure, Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Tuesday said that the state-run efforts alone are not enough and urged all 60 MLAs and two MPs to contribute to the endeavour actively. Meghalaya minister asks MLAs, MPs to push for school infra upgradation Leading by example, Sangma claimed he had renovated 45 schools in his Rongara-Siju constituency in South Garo Hills district, using ₹2 lakh per school from MLA scheme funds. "If each MLA takes care of 50 schools per year, we can make real change in infrastructure," he said, urging other public representatives, including members of district councils, to work towards meaningful development. "Let's not play the blame game. Let us preach what we practice. Instead of pointing fingers, let's come together and build," he added. Each legislator in Meghalaya receives an annual allocation of ₹2.5 crore under the MLA Local Area Development Scheme , meant for infrastructure and development work within their constituencies, officials said. These discretionary funds can be utilised for a wide range of purposes, including school repairs, water supply, rural roads, and health infrastructure, they said. Notably, the state government, under its Mission Education programme, has launched a large-scale initiative to repair and upgrade over 2,000 government schools within the next two years. This includes lower and upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary institutions. In the current year alone, an amount of ₹100 crore has been sanctioned for upgrading 200 government lower primary schools, with an additional 300 such institutes identified for future improvements, the officials said. Nearly 90 per cent of these schools have already undergone or are undergoing renovation, with around 100-200 still pending sanction, they said. In total, 1,608 schools have been taken up under the programme, with most nearing completion, one of the officials said. However, there are some schools in Mawsynram, Mylliem, and Khliehriat areas, which are still awaiting implementation, he said. Funding sources for the renovations include Samagra Shiksha, state government allocations, and contributions from the development funds of MLAs, MPs, and MDCs. Recently, ₹33.80 crore was sanctioned for the construction and renovation of 19 upper primary and secondary schools to improve classrooms, sanitation facilities, electrification and quarters, another official said. Sangma's appeal for shared responsibility is being viewed as a push for a collaborative approach to strengthen Meghalaya's school infrastructure and ensure a better learning environment for students across the state. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
