INDIA: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh recently informed in Rajya Sabha about the Government’s commitment to the overall development of the North Eastern Region (NER) including Garo hills region in the State of Meghalaya.
Garo Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya, a part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion. The region, one of the wettest places in the world is inhabited mainly by tribal dwellers, the majority of whom are Garo people, called the Garos. There are Garo settlements in the plains of Assam and Bangladesh too.
List of development activities
- Out of total 11 districts in Meghalaya, 5 districts fall under the Garo hills region. In this region, 13 projects are under implementation for construction/widening/reconstruction of roads/bridges for 133.8 km length.
- Two flagship schemes of Government are being implemented across the country for various rural electrification works and electrification of the remaining un-electrified households in rural and urban areas, including NER and the State of Meghalaya.
- All the inhabited census villages and households of the region have been electrified. Under the North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP) scheme, 14 power projects are under implementation in Garo hills.
- 46 different projects relating to Roads, Power, Irrigation, Industry, Medical & Health, Sports, Science & Technology, etc. are in progress in five districts of Garo Hills.
- This region is the only region in Meghalaya which comes under the railway map by way of the Mendipathar – Dudhnoi railway line. Under the Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan, 389 towers covering 534 uncovered villages have been approved in three districts of Garo Hills for the provision of 4G mobile services.
- Under Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana, so far 20,151 persons have been given training for employment.
- Various developmental measures taken up by State Government under Central Sector Scheme/Centrally Sponsored Schemes/State Schemes include construction of the first state-run Medical College at Tura in West Garo Hills District, sanction of a Tribal Research Institute at Babadam, West Garo Hills, approval for setting up of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in six Community & Rural Development Blocks of the Garo Hills Region and construction of 36 Anganwadi Centre Buildings (AWCs).
- Jal Jeevan Mission- Har Ghar Jal (JJM) is being implemented which aims at providing water through tap water connection to every rural household by 2024. Under JJM, 31% of the households in Garo Hills region have been provided with functional household tap connections till January 2021.
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