A household will get Rs 5000/- to meet contingencies under this initiative: CM Sangma
HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, July 28: Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma on Thursday expanded his flagship initiative FOCUS to more than 6 lakh families across Meghalaya. Sangma highlighted that the new initiative will provide an opportunity to families to live with self-respect and to overcome imminent challenges in personal lives or at occupational fronts. Under this scheme, a financial aid of rupees five thousand per household will be provided to more than six lakh families in the hill state to live with dignity, even in challenging times. The scheme was launched on Thursday at an event organized at the North Garo Hills’ Resubelpara area.
Meghalaya chief minister Sangma reiterated that large sections of Meghalaya’s rural population will get financial relief under this initiative and will soon redefine social welfare in the state and the country. “Meghalaya, a state that is progressing fast on various parameters including getting a top rating in NITI Aayog’s Innovation Index, ranked among the best in Startup ecosystem, etc., will soon be a model State for social upliftment,” he said.
The chief minister stressed that over the past four and half years Meghalaya is making constant progress on various fronts, and many national bodies rating our State among the best is a testimony to the development achieved. “Our farmers’ support initiative FOCUS has provided much needed impetus for upscaling of farming activities, results of which are for everyone to see. Initiatives like CLLMP, LAMP, PRIME, and others are providing necessary means to build a stronger infrastructure and ecosystems in the State.”
Stating that the initiative FOCUS is very close to his heart, Sangma said that it helped a large section of the hill state’s farming community. He further said that the scheme will provide much needed aid to ensure every family in rural Meghalaya leads a life of dignity.
“The scheme will help more than 6 lakh households across the state and the aid can be used to mitigate any imminent personal contingencies or for occupational purposes by farmers, small vendors, drivers, masons, unskilled laborers, etc. The main aim of this initiative is to ensure that these individuals and families must not look for any private or unregulated aid when in need,” added Sangma.
According to the chief minister, FOCUS was originally launched on September 1st 2021, and to date its benefit has reached 2.5 lakh families. Under FOCUS+, any household with an annual income of less than Rs 36,000/- are eligible to get this aid, which will be directly deposited into their Bank accounts. Covid-19 pandemic has caused great distress even among many organized enterprises, and the worst hit were the poorer sections of rural India. FOCUS+ will help every poor family across Meghalaya to overcome certain basic challenges in their lives, and this initiative will be a model for the country.
