New Engineering College as Independence Day’s gift for West Jaintia Hills District

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 15, 2024

In what could be termed an Independence Day’s gift to the people of West Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya Power Minister A T Mondal on Thursday announced the establishment of new engineering college in Jowai and Ampati, South West Garo Hills besides setting new polytechnics in Ri-Bhoi, West Khasi Hills, East Garo Hills, and South Garo Hills districts.

Mondal told a gathering in Jrisalein playground, Jowai after he hoisted the National Flag of India in the 78th Independence Day Celebration organized by the District Administration, West Jaintia Hills District.

A grand total of 32 contingents including Meghalaya Police, NCC, Bharat & Scouts Guides and students of various schools participated in the March Past. 

Mondal informed that 38 Eklavya Model Residential Schools are being built across the State to reduce the drop-out rate among students between VI to XII standards. He also informed new College of Science & Commerce campuses are being developed at Mahendraganj, West Garo Hills and Mawphlang, East Khasi Hills District.

He also said that additionally, grants-in-aid are being provided to 21 People’s Colleges while the Shillong Government College of Engineering, the College of Architecture & Urban Planning, in Shillong and Model Degree Colleges in Patharkhmah and Rongjeng are poised to strengthen technical education in Meghalaya.  He also informed the Captain Williamson Sangma State University is ready for academic initiation as Meghalaya’s first state university.

Informing that over Rs 800 crores have been committed for development of sports infrastructure, Mondal said a proposed 20,000 capacity stadium at Mawkhanu is poised to become the centrepiece of sports infrastructure for the entire North Eastern Region and the government are also building more than 50 natural and artificial football turfs and multi-disciplinary indoor sports facilities across the State.

The Power Minister informed that to strengthen Meghalaya’s skilling ecosystem at every level, a world-class Skills & Innovation Hub is planned at New Shillong Knowledge City while adding that proposal for a multisectoral Skills Park at Tura is also being finalized.

Mondal said, “We are strengthening the Meghalaya Identification, and Registration (Safety & Security) of Migrant Workers Act, 2020 by introducing provisions of compulsory police verification for registration of workers from other states. We are also enhancing the penalty in cases of non-compliance from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh and simple imprisonment of up to 3 months for repeat offenders.”

He also informed that the Government is currently building more than 15 water supply projects in prominent urban centres like Greater Shillong, New Shillong, Nongstoin, Baghmara, Ampati and Williamnagar to augment the water supply in these places while adding that together, these projects are worth more than Rs 2,500 crores.

Asserting that that Meghalaya is now spending the highest on healthcare compared to all other Indian states, with over 9% of the State’s budget allocated to healthcare, the Power Minister said that the efforts of the Government has resulted in a 47% drop in maternal deaths and a 30% drop in infant mortality. He also said that the Government are working towards opening the Shillong Medical College by the next academic year while the work on the Tura Medical College is also progressing steadily.

Mondal said that following the success in strengthening the state’s transport and logistics infrastructure under the first phase of Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project, the Union Finance Ministry has sanctioned another Rs 2,000 crores for the implementation of the second phase under the Meghalaya Economic Growth Accelerator (MEGA) Corridor project.

Informing that the New Power Policy 2024 plans to double the generation capacity by 2030, the Power Minister said the recently commissioned Ganol Hydroelectric Project has enhanced the power generation capacity of the State by 22.5 megawatts while the generation capacity of the Umiam-Umtru Stage 3 Hydroelectric Station is being augmented from 60 to 66 megawatts. He also said that plans are also being drawn to develop biogas power plants in the State.

He also said that under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme works worth Rs 904 crores are being undertaken to strengthen the distribution network which would reduce losses and improve the quality of power supply and about 55,000 new houses will be connected with electricity at an estimated cost of Rs 450 crores.

Stating that the Government has created a pipeline of projects worth over Rs 2,000 crores for private sector investment, Mondal said that glamping accommodations are being developed in six locations including Umiam, Sohra, Nokrek, and Nartiang each with the capacity of 350 units. He also said that the Sohra Waterfall Trail and Mawmluh Cave Experiential Centre have been sanctioned under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme while plans for developing the Nartiang Monoliths and the Mawphlang Sacred Groves have also been submitted to the Ministry of Tourism.

The Power Minister said that the Government is implementing the Digital India Land Records Modernization Program which includes cadastral survey, digitization of land records, and computerization of sub-registrar offices. He also said that the implementation is being done through the three Autonomous District Councils and will greatly improve land record management in the Autonomous District Councils and the State Government.

Mondal asserted that the law-and-order situation in the State was by and large peaceful throughout the year while the process of resolving the interstate border dispute with Assam made steady progress this year and the Committees deployed in both states are working towards an amicable solution to the dispute in the remaining six areas.  He also informed that in wake of the recent crisis in Bangladesh, Government of Meghalaya has heightened security along the border and the Government coordinated the evacuation of our students studying there. He also said an online registration platform is being introduced to ensure the availability of real-time data on Meghalayans studying or working abroad.