Shillong, June 26: Giving a significant push to strengthening grassroot governance and strengthening public service delivery in the rural areas, two newly constructed modern Block Development Complexes in Bhoirymbong and Umling under Ri-Bhoi district were inaugurated on Thursday.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma first arrived at Bhoirymbong to witness the opening ceremony of a state-of-the-art Community & Rural Development (C&RD) Block Complex, constructed at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore.
A special moment of the inaugural celebration was the ribbon-cutting ceremony led by war veteran Colbert Shadap, a hero of the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistan Wars, symbolizing respect for the armed forces in the presence of the chief minister, C&RD minister A T Mondal, Umroi MLA Damanbhai Lamare, Mawhati MLA Charles Marngar, Umsning MLA Dr Celestine Lyngdoh, C&RD Secretary C B Sadhu and other senior government officials.
The facility is set to serve over 1.3 lakh residents, streamlining access to government services.
Spanning 1,930 square meters, the complex features e-service counters, training and conference halls, a showroom for Self-Help Group products, and solar power.
Hours later, the chief minister arrived at Umling C&RD Block Complex where a Rs 5 crore project was inaugurated- after a 45-year delay since its proposal in 1980. Covering 2,050 square meters, the complex includes a citizen facilitation center, integrated departmental offices, and infrastructure for 82 staff members, catering to 224 villages.
Here too, prominent musician and traditional instrument maker Rani Maring did the honours by performing the ribbon-cutting, marking the occasion with cultural significance. The MLA of Jirang constituency Sosthenes Sohtun also attended the inauguration ceremony alongside government officials and members of the local community.
Speaking at both events, Chief Minister Sangma laid emphasis on his government’s commitment towards decentralizing administration. “These block offices are the backbone of effective governance,” he said, noting that over ₹2,500 crore has been invested in the past seven years to upgrade infrastructure across Meghalaya’s offices, schools, and hospitals.
He highlighted ongoing digital and policy reforms to make certificates, welfare services, and applications accessible at the block level, reducing the need for residents to travel to district headquarters.
The chief minister also outlined Meghalaya’s economic ambitions, highlighting that Ri-Bhoi is poised to play a pivotal role in achieving a US $10 billion economy by 2028. Key projects like the Umroi Airport expansion and the ₹25,000 crore Shillong–Guwahati expressway were cited as drivers of this vision.
Community & Rural Development Minister A.T. Mondal told the gathering that ₹180 crore has been invested to modernize 46 block offices statewide so as to ensure there is faster and more efficient public services.
The efforts of the Conrad K Sangma government’s initiatives were not lost to those elected by the people with local MLAs, including Umroi’s Damanbhaï Lamare, Mawhati’s Charles Marngar, Umsning’s Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh, and Jirang’s Sosthenes Sohtun, showering praise on the government’s efforts to strengthen rural administration.
