Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, today, laid the Foundation Stone for the Mini Secretariat, Patharkhmah in the presence of Minister, Secretariat Administration etc Sosthenes Sohtun, in a program held at Western Ri Bhoi Football Ground, Patharkhmah.
The new Jirang Block Office was inaugurated at Jirang by a renowned football athlete of the area Ribansi Jamu in the presence of the Chief Minister and the dignitatries, the new building of Patharkhmah Senior Secondary School and Patharkhmah Model Degree College were also inaugurated during the occasion.
The Jirang C&RD Block was created on 24 March 2001 with its headquarters at Patharkhmah, and for most families in this area the Block Office is the first and most frequent point of contact with the Government. The foundation stone of the new Block Integrated Development Complex (BIDC) was laid on 27 October 2023 giving block officers proper working space and citizens a single place to apply for schemes, follow up on applications and meet officials. Rural roads, housing, water supply, livelihood programmes and village-level works are planned and supervised from this office and coordinate with line departments to ensure services reach the villages.
The government is investing in block offices across Ri-Bhoi. A Block Development Integrated Complex for Mawhati C&RD Block has been approved at ₹4.50 crore, so that every block in the district can work from a proper office. Of 184 projects of more than ₹1 crore each in Ri-Bhoi, with a total approved cost of ₹1,847.38 crore – 14 are complete, 109 are ongoing and 61 have been initiated. Several of these projects serve Western Ri-Bhoi directly, including the ₹16.58 crore steel truss bridge on the Patharkhmah road, the ₹3.51 crore approach road to Patharkhmah Model Degree College and the ₹1.26 crore Jirang Primary Health Centre.
Speaking briefly during the Jirang Block inauguration, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said, “It is satisfying to see that block offices that across the state were mostly being run from rented or dilapidated structures are now being renovated or new integrated block offices are being created,” he said. Lauding the achievements and contributions of Ribansi Jamu to sports and especially to football he said that it was only befitting that the block office is inaugurated by her who will inspire many youth to pursue their passion. Ribansi Jamu, is a professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper for the India Women’s National Football Team.
The laying of the Foundation Stone for the Mini Secretariat at Patharkhmah reiterates the government’s commitment for a modern and responsive administration. “The Mini Secretariat whose foundation stone we lay today will bring the offices of the Patharkhmah Civil Sub-Division together on one campus, so that a citizen can complete related work in one visit instead of travelling between offices,” said the Chief Minister and further stated that modern administration depends on systems as much as on buildings.