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Shillong June 17: Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma on Monday proposed to the Centre to replicate iTEAMS in the whole country which has been initiated by Meghalaya, while urging Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to establish the third Presidential Retreat of the country in Shillong.

The Chief Minister made the proposals during a meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi. Conrad was accompanied by his cabinet ministers, AL Hek, Banteidor Lyngdoh, Samlin Malgniang and Tura Lok Sabha MP, Agatha K. Sangma.

1917 iTEAMS, is a first of its kind in the country. It is an IT enabled platform where farmers can contact a Call Center for their needs for advisory services and for farm inputs. For evacuating their outputs, the farmers can contact the call center that dispatches Agri Response Vehicles dedicated for the purpose.

Conrad told the Prime Minister that the 1917 iTEAMS (toll free number) has been established to help farmers in Meghalaya through an integrated technology enabled agriculture management system. He said that 1917 is a historic year for the country due to the Champaran Satyagraha started by Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

“This year is the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and it would be apt to start iTEAMS initiated by the Government of Meghalaya in the rest of the country to help our farmers. The objective of 1917 iTEAMS is to connect sellers with buyers, and this acts as an advisory on farm related issues, and help farmers with regards to transportation of their goods and provides other technical support,” the Chief Minister said, adding that through the system, the farmers are connected to local truck owners, who also facilitate local entrepreneurship.

“The Prime Minister liked the idea and has assured to replicate the initiative started by the Meghalaya government,” the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister also urged the Prime Minister to establish the third Presidential Retreat in Shillong, being the historical capital of North East India.

“Currently, there are two Presidential Retreat in India – The Retreat Building in Shimla and the Rashtrapati Nilayam in Hyderabad, which are indicative of the integrative role of the Office of the President of India in our country. These locations, one in North and another in South, symbolise unity of our country and unity of our diverse cultures and people,” Conrad said while impressing upon the Centre to establish the third Presidential Retreat in Northeast, preferably in Shillong.

The Chief Minister told the Prime Minister that by having the Presidential Retreat in Shillong, the President would spend at least two weeks in a year.

“This would send a very strong message of inclusiveness and a strong message of importance towards the North East being accorded by the Central government,” Conrad said.