NEC releases Rs 9 Crore for projects in Meghalaya

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 3, 2025

The North Eastern Council (NEC) has released Rs 9,58,86,765 during August for the implementation of various projects in Meghalaya.

Of this, Rs 4,47,30,000 was sanctioned for setting up 20 farmers’ markets at Rs 50 lakh each; Rs 4,45,50,000 for 10 farmers’ markets at Rs 1 crore each; Rs 17,19,765 for the Community Development Programme for Tiwa (Lalung) in Umsning C&RD Block, Ri Bhoi district; and Rs 48,87,000 for the construction of a school building at Mawthadraishan, West Khasi Hills.

The NEC also sanctioned gap funding of Rs 51.178 lakh for residential costs associated with Skill Training in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) and IT-ITES sectors. Approved on August 8, 2025, the project will be implemented by the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCORMS), Shillong.

The AVGC sector is growing rapidly, with India’s industry projected to expand from Rs 188 billion in 2023 to Rs 419 billion by 2027. This initiative aims to enhance employability, address skill gaps, foster entrepreneurship, and provide sustainable livelihoods by equipping North East youth with skills in animation, VFX, game design, and graphic storytelling.

About 400 youth across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura will be trained and certified. The project is partly supported by MSDE under PMKVY 4.0, with NEC providing crucial funding for boarding and lodging.

Additionally, the second instalment of Rs 233 lakh was released on August 8, 2025, for the “Establishment of Scientific Smoked Meat Production Units in North East India” project, originally sanctioned at Rs 484.67 lakh.

This project will deploy 17 scientific smoke houses across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland to standardize hygienic meat smoking practices, reduce carcinogen levels in smoked meat, and improve public health. Annually, these units are expected to produce 867 MT of dried pork, generate 34 direct jobs, and benefit 1,921 people indirectly.

During August, NERCORMS also completed a study on mobile and internet connectivity in North East villages, providing valuable insights to improve digital infrastructure.

On August 19, 2025, two state-level workshops were held in Meghalaya: one on conservation awareness of indigenous fruits, vegetables, medicinal, and aromatic plants (Rs 8 lakh, organized by NERCORMS), and another on GI products and user authorization for farmers (Rs 8.85 lakh, organized by NERAMAC).