Shillong, March 2: Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar on Monday reviewed the progress of centrally sponsored welfare schemes in Meghalaya, highlighting strong implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) while stressing the need to accelerate LPG coverage in the state.
Addressing officials after a review meeting at Tara Ghar state guest house, Kumar said Meghalaya has completed 23,624 houses under PMAY (Urban & Gramin) out of over 25,000 units sanctioned. He noted that beneficiaries have also been provided electricity, potable water and toilets through convergence with other government schemes.
“PM Awas Yojana is a key pillar of social empowerment,” the minister said. He added that since its inception in 2014, over four crore houses have been completed nationwide, underscoring the government’s commitment to affordable housing.
Kumar urged officials to ensure that eligible beneficiaries are not left out, calling for saturation of all entitlements under the scheme.
However, he highlighted a shortfall in LPG connections in Meghalaya and urged intensified efforts to achieve 100 percent saturation under the Ujjwala scheme, aimed at expanding clean cooking fuel coverage.
The review meeting, which assessed the implementation of multiple centrally sponsored programs, was attended by Adviser (Social Welfare) Paul Lyngdoh, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner R.M. Kurbah and senior officials from the state administration.
Framing welfare delivery as a collaborative effort between the Centre and the state, Kumar described the progress as a product of a “double-engine government,” referring to the partnership between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. “In several departments, I have observed that implementation is very good,” he added.
On livelihood initiatives, the minister referred to the Viksit Bharat–GBC Rozgar-Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), part of the Centre’s rural development strategy, emphasizing that the objective of such missions is to convert scheme eligibility into tangible improvements for rural households through coordinated action between the Centre and state governments.
