Meghalaya CM visits Rashtrapati Bhavan with participants from Pineapple Festival

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma visited the Rashtrapati Bhavan along with farmers and entrepreneurs of the state who had participated in the recently-concluded 2nd Meghalaya Pineapple Festival, 2024 which was held at the Dilli Haat, New Delhi. 

The visit reaffirmed CM Sangma's vision for empowering the backbone of the economy, farmers, and entrepreneurs of Meghalaya with commitment to preserve and promote their interest.

The delegation led by CM Sangma, along with 19 farmers and 10 entrepreneurs of Meghalaya, also included CVD Diengdoh, IAS Secretary, Planning Department, Government of Meghalaya, I Majaw, Joint Secretary, Dept of Power, Alexander Mukhim, Deputy Secretary, Anita Kharpor, Joint Secretary, and I Diengdoh, Joint Mission Director, SRES.
  
With mission-mode interventions at the grassroots level, the policies of the state have been benefiting the farmers and entrepreneurs of the state across various levels. 
 
CM Sangma stated, “The Meghalaya government always works together with the farmers, who form the backbone of Meghalaya’s economy. This experience, after the success of the Meghalaya Pineapple Festival, 2024, not only recognises their hard work but also motivates them towards new heights.” 

During the visit, he also spoke about national integration, highlighting that the presence of Meghalaya farmers at the Rashtrapati Bhawan is a matter of pride, symbolising national integration. 

The farmers of the state also visited the ‘Janjatiya Darpan’, a tribal art and culture gallery in the Rashtrapati Bhawan, which was inaugurated by President Draupadi Murmu. The visitors were delighted to see beadworks and necklaces from the Khasi and Garo Hills of Meghalaya being showcased there. 

There was a full collection of these items, alongside other ethnographic objects and images from different tribes of India. 

The farmers, touring the Rashtrapati Bhavan with their Chief Minister, were quite elated by the event. 

“The Meghalaya Pineapple Festival opened new avenues for us, and visiting the Rashtrapati Bhawan is a dream come true. The Hon'ble Chief Minister has always supported the farmers. It is due to the efforts of the government that our pineapples are today exported and consumed globally,” said Badashisha Lapang, a farmer from the state. 

Another farmer stated, “This experience has been like an inciting boost to our morale. With the Hon’ble Chief Minister accompanying us to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, it showed that all our hard work was properly valued and acknowledged at the highest level.”

Cyril V. D. Diengdoh, IAS Secretary, Planning Department, expressed the state’s commitment to agricultural growth. He mentioned that “The tour was a gesture of the government’s commitment to encouraging the farmers to explore further opportunities for growth and expansion.” 

The government’s efforts to promote the pineapples along with various other agricultural produce of the state has led to successful export of different commodities to various parts of the globe. 

Recently, the state exported over 3.5 tonnes of pineapples to Middle East, a success of Mission Mode Interventions by the Government. 

These interventions work in tandem with initiatives like the PRIME Meghalaya, aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystem in the state. 

The entrepreneurs also shared their views. “With the chief minister accompanying us on this visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan, we are reaffirmed that the active support from our government will always exist. It encourages us to bring innovations and expand our businesses,” said Robina J Sangma, an entrepreneur from PRIME (Promotion and Incubation of Market Driven Enterprises), Meghalaya.

The visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan demonstrated the state government's continuous efforts in empowering the people at the grassroots level and exploring newer avenues for economic development.