Meghalaya government transfers Rs 30 crore to 60,000 households under FOCUS+ initiative

The Meghalaya government on December 5 transferred Rs 30 core to 60,000 households under the FOCUS+ initiative which has been designed to provide benefits to all producers across the state. 

''Rs 30 crore have been directly transferred to 60,000 producer households under the’ FOCUS +’. The ‘FOCUS+’ initiative has been designed to provide benefits to all producer households across Meghalaya. It is an extension of Meghalaya’s biggest farmers' welfare program ‘FOCUS’ (Farmers Collectivization for Upscaling Production and Marketing System). The two schemes (Focus and Focus+) will provide farming households of Meghalaya a financial advantage of Rs 10,000 per household,'' an official statement said.

The state government continued with its aggressive rural welfare push with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on December 5 distributing funds under FOCUS+ Programme at Jengjal, West Garo Hills District, which is the largest ever Direct Benefit Transfer in Meghalaya, ensuring farmers’ prosperity towards promoting sustainable livelihood. 

“Welfare of farmers has always been a priority of our government. I am glad to share that several farmers have benefitted through the FOCUS scheme. We will keep supporting you through such innovative schemes. Our dream and vision are to ensure that FOCUS and FOCUS+ Programmes continue every year. If we transfer 450 crores every year into the most economically weaker section of our society and keep transferring this amount every year, in a matter of 10 years an amount of 4500 crores will be infused into the economy, then imagine the cash flow that would be available to the farmers. Today we have transferred Rs. 30 crores to 60000 households. Our target is 4.5 lakhs producer households,” Sangma said while speaking on this historic occasion. 

Moreover, 11 VPICs of Rongram received Rs 1.48 crores under Meglife Project for the construction of a Community Hall and 9 SHGs received a sum of Rs11 Lakhs.

Under the Rural Backyard Piggery Scheme, ‘PROGRESS’, 2000 piglets (3 females and 1 male each) were distributed to 500 farmer households.  

The ‘PROGRESS’ scheme aims at ensuring the sustainable livelihood of farmers through different livestock farming activities. 

''This scheme is envisaged to benefit 10,000 marginal farmers as well as increase pork and poultry production in the state. Also, high yielding variety of Kuroiler poultry birds was distributed to 100 beneficiaries,'' the statement added.