Meghalaya Chief Secretary pushes for 100 per cent coverage of welfare schemes in Garo Hills

Meghalaya Chief Secretary DP Wahlang conducted a comprehensive review of development schemes across the five districts of the Garo Hills region during a high-level meeting in Tura.

The review meeting, attended by top officials including Principal Secretary of Health & Family Welfare Sampath Kumar and Secretary of Education Swapnil Tembe, focused on accelerating the implementation of central and state welfare programs.

"No household should be left behind," Wahlang emphasised while reviewing the Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) housing scheme implementation. He directed officials to ensure everyone without proper housing in the state receives benefits under the program.

Officials highlighted several challenges impeding scheme implementation, including poor network connectivity affecting geo-tagging processes and difficulties with Aadhaar enrollment and seeding.

A significant development reported during the meeting was the near-completion of the Baghmara-Shillong road by the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). Travel time between the two locations has been reduced to just six hours, potentially boosting tourism to Balpakram National Park.

Wahlang urged the Forest Department to upgrade guest facilities at the park to accommodate the expected increase in visitors from the Khasi Hills region.

The Chief Secretary instructed the Planning Department to coordinate with the CM Solar Mission to accelerate the implementation of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijili Yojana (free solar electricity scheme). All district officials were directed to work "aggressively" to meet targets.

Commissioner Pravin Bakshi warned that after June 30, 2025, there would be no extension for Aadhaar enrollment, making it urgent for citizens to register since the digital ID is increasingly required for accessing essential government services, including the National Food Security Act benefits.

Secretary Swapnil Tembe presented progress on the multi-phase Mission Education initiative, focusing on infrastructure upgrades across schools in the Garo Hills region.

Health sector briefings included updates on the Meghalaya Early Child Development Mission and the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS). Wahlang emphasised the need to publicise success stories from these programs that directly benefit economically disadvantaged citizens.

The Chief Secretary also called for the revival of the Rural Information Campaign to better inform citizens about available government programmes and eligibility requirements, demonstrating a renewed focus on last-mile delivery of welfare schemes.