At a landmark event held in Dobakol Awemong, South Garo Hills, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Shri Conrad K. Sangma, inaugurated a newly constructed Community Hall — and virtually inaugurated 124 additional halls across the Garo Hills region.
The ceremony was attended by MLAs, MDCs, government officials, Village Project Implementation Committees (VPICs), and hundreds of community members.
These Community Halls have been built under the MegLIFE Project, supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). As part of the project’s Entry Point Activities, these halls respond to the immediate needs of the villages, while laying the foundation for long-term work in natural resource management and sustainable rural development.
More than just buildings, these halls will serve as vital community spaces for training, participatory planning, local governance, and village meetings. They are meant to strengthen the capacity of communities to lead their own development journey — rooted in their traditions and priorities.
During the inauguration, the Hon’ble Chief Minister highlighted that 452 Community Halls have now been constructed across Meghalaya, with 304 located in the Garo Hills region alone. He praised the efforts of VPICs in taking ownership of local planning and reaffirmed the State’s commitment to inclusive, community-led development.
The event concluded with the symbolic planting of indigenous tree saplings, reinforcing Meghalaya’s vision of ecological sustainability and grassroots empowerment.
