CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Anxieties are mounting in East Garo Hills as the much-anticipated Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Citrus Agriculture Project remains mired in bureaucratic inertia despite full financial sanction.
Sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 1,013.47 lakh - with Rs 553.23 lakh approved on 22 January 2025 - the project was envisioned to revolutionize citrus farming through cutting-edge Israeli technology and sustainable agricultural practices. The CoE, to be set up at Dawagre under the Department of Horticulture, Government of Meghalaya, promised to uplift farmers and transform the horticultural landscape of the region.
However, months after approval, there has been "no visible progress on the ground," raising questions about the delay and accountability in execution. The Niksamso Garo Community Organization, representing local voices, has expressed serious concern over the unexplained stagnation of the project.
"We strongly demand immediate clarification from the concerned authorities - the Department of Horticulture, Government of Meghalaya, and the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) - regarding the reasons behind this delay. Transparency in fund utilization and accountability in project execution must be upheld," the organization stated.
Farmers and community groups who had pinned their hopes on the initiative said the prolonged silence from officials has "eroded public trust and stifled economic progress." They warned that continued administrative apathy risks derailing what was seen as landmark collaboration between India and Israel in agricultural innovation.
The Niksamso Garo Community Organization has urged the government to "remove administrative hurdles and commence project implementation without further delay," emphasizing that the future of citrus cultivation - and the livelihoods tied to it - hangs in the balance.