Meghalaya to sign MoU with University of California

Meghalaya Government and University of California, Berkeley, would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in September next to adopt 100 villages in which the concept of smart village would be introduced.

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma made the announcement at the Caux Forum 2019 in Montreux, Switzerland which he is attending.

The annual Caux Forum through conferences, training and dialogues aims to inspire, equip and connect people, groups and organisations to build a just, sustainable and peaceful world.

According to an official statement, addressing the gathering, Sangma said that the Government’s effort is to make the rural areas equally attractive as the urban areas of the State.

“Our cities are already choking and having smart villages will prevent urban migration and related environmental issues,” he added. Informing about the State’s 6,500 villages, Sangma said there is emphasis on restoration of land in more than 400 villages of the State.

He further added that the government has linked all livelihood programmes to natural resources and are encouraging people to protect these natural resources. “We have a lot of traditional rules and laws and it is a community driven society,” he said.

Giving insight about the Land Tenure system, Sacred Groves and the Living Root Bridge, Sangma added, “We as a government are proud of our society and the idea of our Sacred Groves and Living Root Bridges should be known to the rest of the world.” The CM said the government has given importance to such indigenous knowledge and have stressed on community participation in the implementation of government programmes.