Shillong: A mini secretariat will be established at Patharkhmah in Ri-Bhoi district to bring govt offices and services closer to residents, CM Conrad K Sangma said on Monday.Sangma laid the foundation stone for the facility at the Western Ri-Bhoi Football Ground. The mini secretariat will bring the offices of the Patharkhmah Civil Sub-Division together on a single campus, enabling residents to complete related work without travelling between different offices.“The mini secretariat 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. People should not travel for hours or days for a govt service and a modern and responsive administration should come closer to the people,” said the CM.A new block office was also inaugurated at Jirang by local football athlete Ribansi Jamu in the presence of the chief minister. The new buildings of Patharkhmah Senior Secondary School and Patharkhmah Model Degree College were also inaugurated.The Jirang Community and Rural Development Block was established on March 24, 2001, with its headquarters at Patharkhmah. The block office serves as the primary point of contact with govt for many families in the area. Rural roads, housing, water supply, livelihood programmes and village-level development works are planned and monitored from the office.The Patharkhmah Model Degree College, established on May 25, 2022, under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, is the first govt degree college in Ri-Bhoi. Its campus was formally inaugurated on Monday.The college is affiliated with Captain Williamson Sangma State University and offers undergraduate courses in arts. It has separate hostels with 60 seats each for boys and girls.“The campus has separate hostels of 60 seats each for boys and girls. With the senior secondary school and the degree college now side by side in Patharkhmah, a student of Western Ri-Bhoi can study from school to graduation without leaving the area. Colleges should not only be in Shillong, Tura or Jowai,” the CM observed.The college is expected to benefit students who previously had to move to Nongpoh, Shillong or Guwahati for higher education after completing Class XII. Many families were unable to afford the cost of travel, accommodation and food.The govt has sanctioned Rs 3.5 crore for a 0.91-kilometre approach road to the college, along with three parking areas. Work on the project is currently under way.
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