Gambegre, Oct 22: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday inaugurated the ₹3-crore Block Integrated Development Complex at Gambegre Community and Rural Development (C&RD) Block in West Garo Hills, highlighting the government’s efforts to improve rural infrastructure and bring public services closer to people.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Gambegre MLA Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma and Gambegre Aking Nokma Chekme Ch. Marak, who donated the land for the complex. Sangma felicitated Marak for her contribution, and she joined the dignitaries in cutting the inaugural ribbon.
During the visit, the Chief Minister also inaugurated a newly constructed digital library and a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM within the complex.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma said the government decided to upgrade block offices after witnessing poor infrastructure during his visits to different parts of the state.
“During my visits across different parts of the State, I witnessed poor infrastructure in block offices, which led to the conceptualization of new, integrated facilities. The idea is to deliver all public services—including the issuance of caste certificates and EPIC cards—from a single location through technology,” he said.
The integrated complex is designed as a single-window facility where residents can access services from different government departments without having to visit multiple offices.
The Chief Minister also announced that a dedicated CM Connect Centre would soon be established at the Gambegre complex. The centre will help residents access state welfare schemes and provide a channel for submitting grievances.
The digital library and SBI ATM are expected to improve access to learning resources and banking services for people in the surrounding areas.
40 integrated complexes sanctioned across Meghalaya
The Gambegre complex is part of a statewide initiative launched in 2022–23 to upgrade all 56 Community and Rural Development blocks in Meghalaya.
Of the 40 integrated complexes sanctioned during 2022–23, 34 have been physically completed, while the remaining six are nearing completion. The cumulative physical progress of the projects stands at 99.53%, according to official figures.
Garo Hills accounts for 17 of the 40 sanctioned complexes, the highest share among the state’s regions.
In West Garo Hills, the complexes at Gambegre, Selsella, Rongram, Tikrikilla and Dalu have been completed. The Tikrikilla complex was inaugurated on April 2, 2025, while the Dalu complex was inaugurated on April 17, 2026. The Dadenggre complex has reached 99% completion.
Under a separate sanction from 2021–22, the Demdema Block Office was inaugurated on June 3, 2025. A new complex for the recently created Batabari C&RD Block has also been sanctioned at a cost of ₹4.50 crore.
Government stresses grassroots development
Speaking at the programme, MLA Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma highlighted the importance of block offices in delivering government services to rural households.
“The Block Office is the first point of contact between a rural household and the Government,” she said.
“The Chief Minister has been extremely generous in undertaking this ambitious project to upgrade every block office across Meghalaya,” she added.
Block offices play a key role in implementing government programmes related to rural housing, livelihoods, sanitation and road connectivity.
Sangma urged officers and administrative staff to serve residents with compassion and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Gambegre.
“In the last two years, we have initiated various development projects for Gambegre. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but we remain fully committed to serving the people,” he said.
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