Shillong, November 12: The South West Garo Hills district administration is stepping up efforts to improve healthcare, education and agricultural livelihoods, while police continue to monitor cross-border movement, drug-related activities and crimes against women and children.
These issues were highlighted by Deputy Commissioner Anendya Raajsshre, IAS, and Superintendent of Police Vikash Varma, IPS, during separate interactions with journalists from Shillong as part of a press tour organised by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).
Sharing her assessment of the district since taking charge in January this year, Raajsshre said South West Garo Hills maintains a peaceful social environment, with different communities living together harmoniously. However, she said certain developmental indicators require attention, prompting the administration to introduce regular departmental review meetings.
In the health sector, the administration is focusing on maternal and child healthcare under the Early Childhood Development Mission, particularly reducing home deliveries and maternal deaths. She said some women remain reluctant to opt for institutional deliveries because they are concerned about leaving their children and livestock unattended. Others prefer home deliveries, particularly during late-night emergencies.
To address this, awareness programmes are being conducted to inform pregnant women about round-the-clock services available at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and civil hospitals. She identified areas under Mellon, Zikzak and Salmanpara PHCs where reluctance towards institutional deliveries remains a concern. Poor mobile network connectivity in some forested areas has also created challenges.
Education is another priority, with the administration conducting surveys to identify school dropouts and facilitate their enrolment in special classes to obtain literacy certification. Open schooling is also being explored for those unable to return to regular classes.
The administration is also monitoring the implementation of the PM POSHAN scheme to ensure that students receive regular mid-day meals and eggs at least once a week. While no cases of packed food distribution or direct distribution of raw grains had been reported, irregularities in meal services were detected in a few schools, leading to action against the concerned teachers and principals.
Raajsshre said the Education Department had also been asked to examine the district’s relatively low performance in the Class X and XII examinations and submit a report by the end of the year, identifying gaps and recommending corrective measures.
Highlighting the district’s agricultural potential, she said farmers produce a variety of fruits and vegetables but face difficulties in collecting their produce and accessing wider markets. The administration is working to organise them into Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Integrated Village Cooperative Societies to improve collective bargaining and market access.
Value addition is also being encouraged through local processing facilities. A millet processing plant and a honey processing plant have recently been inaugurated in the district.
The administration is further working to strengthen women’s livelihoods through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), particularly by promoting poultry and piggery farming under the Lakhpati Didi initiative.
Other priorities include improving sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission and conducting awareness programmes on teenage pregnancies and crimes against women and children, including offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Vikash Varma said the overall law and order situation in South West Garo Hills remains peaceful, although police continue to maintain vigilance over cross-border movement, drug-related activities and crimes against women and children.
He said the district shares an international border with Bangladesh and an interstate border with Assam. While the situation along both borders remains peaceful, police are keeping a close watch on infiltration, cross-border movement and other security concerns.
On illegal cross-border movement, Varma said cases involving Bangladeshi nationals attempting to return to their country through Meghalaya had emerged as a concern.
In a recent operation in the Zikzak area, police arrested seven persons, including six Bangladeshi nationals. The six were reportedly residing in different parts of India, including Delhi, Bengaluru and Surat, before attempting to cross into Bangladesh through Meghalaya.
On drug-related activities, the SP said South West Garo Hills was not a major commercial transit route for narcotics, with most reported cases involving small-scale peddling. He said police had recently arrested two persons under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and recovered 2,000 Yaba tablets.
Regarding crimes against women and children, Varma said cases under the POCSO Act, including those involving teenage pregnancies and sexual assault of minors, continued to be reported in the district. He stressed the need to increase awareness of the Act, particularly among students and educational institutions.
He added that police regularly organise awareness programmes in schools, colleges and market areas to educate people about cybercrime, drug abuse, the POCSO Act and the NDPS Act.
Varma also clarified that there had been no militancy-related incidents or indications of a revival of militant groups in the district, adding that the overall security situation remained under control.
