Guwahati: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday inaugurated two bridges, laid the foundation stone for a 46.08-km road project and inaugurated three rural infrastructure facilities in South Garo Hills district.
The projects, spread across the district, are aimed at improving connectivity, strengthening agricultural market access, supporting rural livelihoods and bringing government services closer to residents.
Among the major infrastructure projects is the 46.08-km Chokpot-Kharukol Road, estimated to cost Rs 136 crore. Being implemented under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS), the project will connect 14 villages and provide a shorter route towards Shillong and Guwahati. It is also expected to improve access to markets and tourism destinations.
Sangma also inaugurated Bridge No. 6/6 on the NH 51 (Dalwagre)-Chokpot Road, which is expected to strengthen the road connection between Chokpot and Tura.
The second bridge, the Gonggangre High Level Bridge over the Dareng river, was constructed at a cost of Rs 4.79 crore. It is expected to provide all-weather connectivity to more than 330 households across several villages.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated three facilities aimed at supporting rural economic activities and improving local administration: the Chokpot Warima PRIME Hub, the Chokpot Farmers’ Market and the Block Integrated Development Complex of Chokpot Community and Rural Development (C&RD) Block.
The Chokpot Warima PRIME Hub has been established to support bamboo and areca nut value chains through common facilities for aggregation, processing, training and marketing.
With its inauguration, South Garo Hills now has four PRIME Hubs across Chokpot, Rongara, Baghmara and Gasuapara. The district also has 32 micro-processing units developed with an investment of Rs 4.24 crore.
The Chokpot Farmers’ Market, developed at a cost of Rs 9.26 crore through the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), South Garo Hills, will provide organised vending spaces for more than 3,000 farmers to sell vegetables, fruits, spices and organic produce.
The market is also expected to improve access to buyers through linkages with Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) and government agricultural schemes.
During the inauguration of the Block Integrated Development Complex, Sangma highlighted the importance of administrative infrastructure and said the state government had undertaken upgrades to block offices across Meghalaya over the past eight years.
He urged the Block Development Officer and other staff members to ensure that government schemes reached their intended beneficiaries.
Earlier, the Chief Minister interacted with residents during the CM Connect programme in Chokpot, where he heard their concerns and sought feedback on local development priorities.
In a series of posts on X, Sangma said the interaction had provided an opportunity to understand residents’ needs and identify ways to improve their everyday lives. He added that their feedback would guide development efforts in Chokpot and the wider South Garo Hills district.