On August 8, during the CM-Connect program, a resident from Umsaliat village in West Jaintia Hills expressed deep frustration over enduring infrastructure issues, specifically the delay in completing a 2.5 km road connecting Umsaliat to Iooksi. Despite promises from previous political campaigns, this critical road has remained unfinished for two decades.
The resident, representing about 40 locals, also highlighted broader concerns such as inadequate educational facilities, poor healthcare services, and problems with the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). She criticized the lack of progress on various electoral promises.
In response, Minister Commingone Ymbon confirmed that the road construction has been sanctioned and will begin shortly. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma addressed the audience, promising improvements in school infrastructure and the upgrade of primary health centers to community health centers as part of a health infrastructure enhancement project.
Sangma stressed the importance of the CM-Connect program in identifying and addressing public grievances. He noted that around 1,600 villages in Meghalaya lack proper road connectivity, leading to the introduction of the Chief Minister’s Rural Road Connectivity Scheme. This new scheme aims to tackle road projects that fall outside the scope of existing national or state funding programs.
Residents also called for better infrastructure, including football grounds, police outposts in border areas, transformer installations, office space for village organizations, SSLC examination centers, banking services, suspension bridges, and the promotion of ecotourism and farmer market complexes.
The CM-Connect program continues to be an essential platform for addressing local concerns and crafting targeted solutions to enhance rural infrastructure and services in Meghalaya.