Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on November 5 laid the foundation stones for 19 development projects worth Rs 133.14 crore and inaugurated seven projects costing Rs 65.75 crore in West Jaintia Hills district.
The projects cover several sectors, including health, sports, public works, public health engineering, education, and community and rural development.
Of the Rs 133.14 crore allocated for the new projects, Rs 54.65 crore has been earmarked for health, Rs 51.61 crore for sports, Rs 14.14 crore for public works, Rs 8.86 crore for public health engineering and Rs 3.88 crore for education.
In social media posts following his visit, Sangma said the state government had initiated 185 major infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,926.52 crore in West Jaintia Hills over the past eight years. Of these, 37 have been completed, 81 are underway and 67 are in the pipeline.
During the visit, Sangma also inaugurated the Block Integrated Development Complex of the Thadlaskein Community and Rural Development (C&RD) Block, built at a cost of Rs 3 crore. Raij leader Ma Kwit Sari attended the inauguration.
Highlighting the role of block offices in delivering public services, Sangma said the government was investing close to Rs 200 crore to upgrade block offices across Meghalaya.
He urged the Block Development Officer and staff to work with “compassion and dedication” and ensure that government schemes reach all eligible beneficiaries.
The Chief Minister also inspected the Thadlaskein Hospitality Complex, which is being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 36 crore under a state government scheme. The proposed facility will include a hotel, convention centre and other amenities intended to strengthen tourism infrastructure in the district.
Sangma said the government had earmarked Rs 112.45 crore for tourism-related projects in West Jaintia Hills. Three projects worth Rs 14.91 crore have been completed, while four projects worth Rs 92.49 crore are under construction. Another two projects, estimated at Rs 5.05 crore, are in the pipeline.
He said the initiatives were aimed at supporting development in the district and improving opportunities for residents.