Staff Reporter

Shillong, Nov 1: The Government of Meghalaya has taken a significant stride in harnessing the region’s flourishing floriculture industry by hosting a two-day “Stakeholder consultation workshop on Unlocking opportunities in Meghalaya” with a focus on floriculture.

The event was held at the Courtyard by Marriott, on November 1st aimed at fostering comprehensive dialogue and idea exchange within the sector.

The workshop was graced by Dr M. Ampareen Lyngdoh, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare as the Chief Guest, Isawanda Laloo Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of Meghalaya, as the Guest of Honour, S. Kharsati Director of Agriculture, D. Sohtun Director of Horticulture, Hub managers from different parts of the state and Scientists, specialist researchers, as well as companies and associations.

Dr M. Ampareen Lyngdoh, Minister of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in her speech, stated, “In our pursuit of fostering prosperity and opportunities, the Government of Meghalaya, under our Chief Minister’s guidance, has launched 14 Horti-hubs to promote floriculture and create employment beyond the public sector. We’re witnessing promising initiatives by farmer producer groups in Umsningand recognizing the potential in our rich biodiversity.

Initiatives like the Floriculture Development Scheme and the Prime Scheme bolster commercial floriculture and market-driven enterprises, benefiting both men and women. We’re actively seeking funding and exploring the synergy between tourism and floriculture, shaping a brighter future for Meghalaya”.

The Minister was confident of the motivation that these workshops give to the farmers to ensure that their products meet national and international standards and emphasized that floriculture is an inclusive field where both genders can thrive.

Laloo stated the significance of the workshops and added, “When we look at the data in the country, we find that India contributes to only 0.6 per cent of the global floriculture market which is a minuscule number and India and the state of Meghalaya has, therefore an immense potential to contribute to increasing the supply of flowers not only regionally, nationally, but also to the international market.

The Horticulture Department owns and manages up to 14 Horti hubs. They are distributed to each of the Khasi Jaintia regions. These horti hubs also facilitate the flower growers and the service providers in collecting, trading, and packaging, and finally to send off the flowers to the respective market destination.”

The workshop commenced with a presentation on the current state of floriculture in Meghalaya by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, setting the stage for the day’s discussions.

Brainstorming sessions addressed various facets of floriculture, from production techniques to market potential. Participants from across the country attended the programme, entrepreneurs, experts, florists actively shared their insights and expertise, identifying critical areas for growth.

Interactive sessions involving Hub Managers, Lead Farmers, and Florists offered practical experiences, challenges, and innovative solutions within the floriculture sector. The workshop concluded by outlining a strategic roadmap for unlocking the potential of Meghalaya’s floriculture industry, incorporating ideas and discussions.

The timing for the initiative was propitious, as the floriculture sector in Meghalaya is witnessing a surge in commercial potential, driven by the availability of improved planting materials, technical inputs, and a growing market demand. Overall, the ‘Unlocking the Potential of the Floriculture Sector in Meghalaya’ workshop marked a significant step toward realizing the region’s ambition of becoming a Northeastern hub for floriculture.

The Meghalaya High Court today directed the Jowai Municipal Board to file an affidavit to indicate how the garbage is being disposed of at the moment in Jowai town.

Hearing a PIL filed by the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai, the division bench said that despite the Jowai Municipality’s assertion that a better schedule for garbage collection is now in place, the petitioner complained that collection takes place only several times a month, rather than several times a week.

Despite previous observations, both the Jowai Municipality and the State appear to be rather indifferent to the plight of the residents in Jowai, it said.

The Court said since the Municipality claims that a better schedule is in operation and seriously disputes the submission made on behalf of the petitioner, the relevant schedule should be disclosed by way of an affidavit when the matter appears a week hence.

“The schedule should indicate the localities where trucks are assigned, the registration numbers of the trucks and the duration that the trucks remain for collection of garbage at various localities. A map of Jowai should accompany the affidavit to indicate that the entirety of the town is covered by the garbage collection drive. The Municipality should also indicate how the garbage is being disposed of at the moment, even while the compost plant is being made ready,” it said in the order.

The next hearing will be held on April 27.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 4: The General Secretary of the Meghalaya Ex-servicemen League Buam Myrthong today said that they will be forced to take part in the protest against the disparity when it comes to One Rank One Pension (OROP).

Speaking to media persons, Myrthong said that all ex-servicemen from the state have decided to lend support to the fellow ex-servicemen who will be protesting in Delhi against the alleged disparity in the OROP.

Myrthong said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken the decision to implement OROP I in 2014 but there are still many issues which the ex-servicemen faced since 2014 which compel the ex-servicemen to come and protest in Delhi to demand for review of the OROP II.

He added that there is a disparity in the OROP as there is a difference of Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000 between one rank within the army and since the cost of essential commodities is increasing day by day, it is injustice for ex-servicemen who have served the country.

“This protest against the alleged disparity in OROP is not only happening in Delhi but it is witnessed in different parts of the country and those who can travel to Delhi are already in the national capital to take part in the protest for the common interest of all ex-servicemen,” said Myrthong.

Myrthong said that it has been 42 days since the ex-servicemen are protesting in Jantar Mantar in Delhi but till date there has been no response from the central government to address this issue of all ex-servicemen.

He added that in the OROP II, the central government plans to implement equal pay for all who are in the same rank and who have the same amount of years in their respective services.