Cleanliness of institutions during field visits draws appreciation
Shillong, Mar 2: Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar has acknowledged that Meghalaya’s achievements in reducing Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) are noteworthy.
Making the observation during a review meeting after a series of field visits on Monday, the minister however said sustained efforts are required to achieve further improvements in MMR and IMR.
He stressed that fund utilisation under various schemes must be improved to ensure timely implementation and optimal outcomes.
Earlier, he conducted field visits to a number of institutions to review implementation of Central government schemes in East Khasi Hills district.
Starting his day with a visit to Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School (PM Shri School), Police Bazar, Shillong, Kumar interacted with students and faculty members and reviewed facilities developed under the PM Shri initiative.
During the interaction, he asked students about their aims in life and the challenges they are facing in pursuing their goals. He encouraged students to pursue academic excellence along with skill development and appreciated the efforts of teachers in fostering holistic and inclusive education.
He visited the Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) at Mewpat and inspected outpatient services, maternal and child healthcare facilities, immunization programmes, and diagnostic units.
Interacting with medical staff and beneficiaries, he emphasized strengthening preventive healthcare services and ensuring uninterrupted service delivery.
At the Anganwadi Centre in Mawdiangdiang, Kumar reviewed nutrition and early childhood care services, observed pre-school activities, and interacted with Anganwadi workers, children and mothers.
During his visit to the New Hope De-addiction-cum-Counselling Centre, the Minister reviewed rehabilitation facilities and interacted with staff and beneficiaries.
He appreciated the vocational training programmes such as carpentry and other skill-based activities being conducted at the centre.
Kumar also visited the Child Care Institutions and De-addiction Campus at Mawkasiang, where he inspected residential facilities and counselling units. He appreciated the neat and clean environment of the institution and commended the dedicated care with which children are looked after in a safe and nurturing atmosphere.
At Mawkasiang, Kumar reviewed the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission project and interacted with villagers regarding maintenance and community ownership of drinking water infrastructure.
Villagers shared how the initiative has positively impacted their daily lives, particularly benefiting women and children by reducing the time and effort spent on fetching water.
In the afternoon, he visited the Old Age Home at Demthring and interacted with elderly residents and staff members.
He appreciated the cleanliness and well-maintained facilities and lauded the compassionate care being extended to senior citizens, reiterating the Government’s commitment to ensuring dignity and well-being for the elderly.
The day concluded with a District Review Meeting at the State Guest House, Shillong. During the meeting, the Minister reviewed the progress of various Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the district.
Departmental officials briefed him on the implementation status of schemes including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and other initiatives.
He spoke in detail about strengthening rural livelihoods under the Viksit Bharat Gram approach and emphasized value addition to products developed by Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to enhance income generation and market linkages.
Drawing attention to challenges faced by certain villages in Meghalaya due to difficult terrain and connectivity constraints, the Minister discussed the importance of strengthening rural road networks under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and enhancing irrigation coverage to boost agricultural productivity.
He also highlighted the need for coordinated efforts to address issues relating to persons with disabilities, stating that community-level engagement and inter-departmental coordination would be strengthened to ensure effective resolution of challenges and improved service delivery.
Responding to media queries after the meeting, Kumar clarified that Government of India schemes are designed for the entire country and are implemented across all States in coordination with State Governments.
If any temporary challenges arise in implementation, including issues related to Aadhaar linkage, coordinated efforts are undertaken to resolve them so that beneficiaries receive benefits on par with the rest of the country.
Addressing concerns regarding substance abuse, the Minister stated that the drug menace cannot be tackled by governments alone and requires collective participation of social, religious, and community organizations.
He highlighted the progress of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, noting the large-scale public awareness generated across the country and expressing confidence that united societal efforts will yield positive results.
The Minister’s visit is part of the Centre’s ongoing outreach to Northeastern states, under which Union Ministers periodically review the progress of centrally sponsored schemes on the ground.
Highlighting the coordination between the Centre and the State, Kumar said the “double-engine government” model, referring to alignment between the Union and State governments — was helping accelerate development initiatives in Meghalaya.
He acknowledged the efforts of the State government under Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, noting that in several sectors commendable work was being carried out.
