Work orders under PMAY distributed at Mawlyndep

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 14: Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma today distributed Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY) work orders to beneficiaries of Mawlyndep Village, Umsning C&RD Block, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY-II).

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said that development should reach every corner of the state. “Unless development does not touch the lives of the people of the state in all regions development is incomplete,” he said.

He further said that the government has tried to be as broad as possible and has come up with micro and macro programs at different levels to bring inclusive development to the people of the state.

“The PMAY program of today is another step forward in achieving inclusive development and it is the aim of the government to achieve saturation in certain social sectors in the next few years,” he added.

The Chief Minister further elaborated on the target of the government in five main sectors like Housing for all, Power connectivity for all, connectivity and accessibility to all villages, water connection for all and mobile connectivity.

He also informed that about 1,30,000 houses amounting to approximately 1700 crores will be sanctioned and constructed this financial year to ensure that a maximum number of people are benefitted. He also urged the beneficiaries to use the money sanctioned for which it is sanctioned.

“The Rangbah Shnongs, the BDOs, the Project Directors need to sensitive to the public and the beneficiaries to use the money for what the purpose it is sanctioned,” he said.

He also highlighted some of the projects in the pipeline for Mawlyndep and adjoining areas. In total 97 beneficiaries from Mawlyndep village received work orders.

Also present were, Dr W Kharlukhi, MP, Rajya Sabha, MLA Umsning, C Lyngdoh, MDC, Umsning, Macdalyne Sawkmie and senior officials from the district administration.

Stories of a Shillong boy Part 1: Hill Boy and the Desert

There is a little 10 year old boy in Shillong who has a funny way of looking at things. I call him “Ray” – A named derived from his Khasi first name. I am his mother and this is one of the many stories I have about him.

Now Ray had an intense hate for two subjects in school – science and geography. I’m still drawing nonsensical circles around science, but I think I’ve cracked geography and a geography lesson is one of the most fun things we do together now. I want to talk about a lesson we did a little while ago.

In this lesson, we read about the Thar Desert. The book said something really scary to Ray. It told him that the desert is expanding because we cut down forests and let our cattle eat away all our grasslands. This really worried him. Before we could go on with the lesson, he said, “But I don’t want the desert to reach the Meghalaya.”

I looked at him and said, “It won’t.”

“But the book says that it will.” He insists. “I don’t want to live in a desert.”

I had to think for a bit. See Ray has this way of getting fixated on something and then he dwells on it – a reason why I tutor him myself by redoing every chapter that his teachers have taught in school. His head is full of questions that he would never ask in a classroom kind of space, but he would demand an answer out of me.

“It will not happen tomorrow Ray.” I said, “We’ll all be dead and gone by then. There is no need to stress.”

This did not put him at ease at all. He was worried. “I don’t want to live in India anymore if the desert is growing mei. We have to leave India.”

“There are deserts everywhere.” I said.

“This can happen all over the world?” he asked sounding completely helpless.

“Yes.” I said thinking of Mad Max Fury Road. “But it won’t happen anytime soon. It will probably happen during the time of your great great great great grandchild so you have nothing to worry about.”

This calmed him down for a little while and I was able to finish the lesson. He had his dinner after that, brushed his teeth and got into bed.

As I was tucking him in he said softly, “But I want my great great great great grand son or daughter to live also.”

And it suddenly struck me that even I want my great great great great great grandchild to live.

(This piece has been written by Dalariti Nongpiur with illustrations by Hazel Kharkongor)