By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, MAY 11: The Congress led MUA-II government has approved the five-year Meghalaya State Livestock Mission 2017-2022 with a projected amount of Rs 1088.97 crore to benefit over 1.95 lakh households in the state.
“We have approved the proposal of the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department for implementing the livestock mission in the state,” chief minister Mukul Sangma announced after a cabinet meeting held here on Thursday.
The Meghalaya State Piggery and Livestock Development Society (MSPLDS) was also approved for implementation of the Mission for a period of five years from 2017-2022, which will coincide with the 50th year statehood celebration.
“This is to ensure that the people have better livelihood opportunities,” Sangma said while adding that the mission was based on the demand by the stakeholders in view that 80% of the total population are engaging in farming activities.
Informing that the total projected amount for five years is at Rs 1088.97 crore, he said the mission aimed at taking care of households considered at the bottom 20 from the socio-economic census besides creating opportunity for willing partners.
He however said there will be credit linkages only for entrepreneurs.
Under the Mission, Minister of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry HDR Lyngdoh informed out of 1.95 lakh beneficiaries targeted, the first year of the Mission will cover 50,000 households and the projected amount is at Rs 217 crore.
The Livestock Mission is yet another ambitious program of the state government which will not only address the demand and supply gap in meat production but will to a great extent reduce rural to urban migration.
However special emphasis is given to piggery besides encouraging the targeted beneficiaries to take up cattle rearing, poultry farming and others.
Stating that the government is concern over the huge gap of demand and supply, Sangma said, “The objective of the mission is also to ensure that we become a surplus state in term of meat production by having the right kind of investment.”
“It is also being designed to take care of the overall nutritional status of the people of the state,” he said.
The chief minister also said that the mission will also go a long way in dealing with the issue of urban congestion in view of the need to stabilize the population in both rural and urban areas.
“The issue of unforeseen congestion of the city can be avoided keeping in mind that the anticipated growth of population overshoots the estimate,” he added.
According to him, the Mission is one of the interventions which will be supplemented by other interventions of the state government.
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